Transportation, the industry that deals with the movement of goods and passengers from one place to another, has gone through many studies, research, efforts and improvements to get to where they are now. A major milestone in the history of transportation was the steamboat of the year 1787. Prior to this, people relied on animal carts for their transportation. After that, the major advancements that led to the growth of the transportation industry were the invention of bicycles, motor cars, trains, and aircraft.

Today, the transport sector has evolved to the point where vehicles can navigate and move without any human assistance. Technological advances have helped the transportation sector progress in its innovation and evolutionary journey. One such new age technology that has contributed to this field is AI. Increasing Artificial Intelligence in Transport helps increase passenger safety, reduce traffic congestion and hazards, reduce carbon emissions and reduce overall financial costs.

AI in transportation

Machines with AI capabilities can simulate humans, automate manual tasks, and learn on the go, just like humans. Realizing this unique potential of AI, businesses in the transportation sector are making significant investments to improve revenue generation and stay ahead of their competitors. According to studies, the global market for AI in transportation is expected to reach $ 3.5 billion by 2023. Let’s take a quick look at some practical use cases of AI in transportation.

Using cases of AI in transportation can justify why the market is up and companies adopting the technology. See some potential use cases below:

Self-driving vehicles

One of the most ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence applications is the invention of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles, the concept that was simply a sci-fi fantasy, has now become a practical reality. Although people were doubtful of this technology during its initial stages, driverless vehicles have already made their entry into the transportation sector.

Autonomous taxis have already started in Tokyo. However for safety reasons, as of now, the driver rests in the car to take control of the taxi during an emergency situation. According to the manufacturers of this autonomous taxi, this technology will result in decreasing the cost of taxi services, which can be helpful in increasing the public transit modes in remote areas.

Similarly, some logistics are including autonomous trucks to obtain numerous benefits from it. 65 percent of goods are transported by trucks globally. When autonomous trucks coming into the picture, the maintenance and administration expenses will come down by about 45 percent.

For now, a majority of companies are still running their pilot projects, aiming to make self-driving vehicles perfect and safe for passengers. As this technology develops, self-driving vehicles will get huge confidence and become mainstream in the consumer area.

Traffic management

Another traffic problem that people face on a regular basis is traffic jams. Artificial Intelligence is now ready to direct this issue too.

Sensors and cameras installed everywhere on the road to collect large amounts of traffic. This data is sent to the cloud, where big data analytics and an AI-powered system are analyzed and traffic is reported. Valuable insights such as traffic estimates can be derived from data processing. Travelers can provide important details such as traffic assessments, accidents or roadblocks. Moreover, people can be informed about the shortest route to their destination, helping them to travel without any hassle of traffic. In this way, AI can help reduce unwanted traffic, improve road safety and reduce wait times. Another traffic problem that people face on a regular basis is traffic congestion. AI is now ready to address this issue too.

Delay predictions

Another problem facing air transportation today is flight delays. A research carried by experts says the estimated costs of flight delays hold $ 39 billion in the US. In addition to financial loss, flights badly affect the passenger flight experience. A negative experience while flying can ruin the reputation of the transportation company, resulting in a decrease in the rate of customers. To overcome these problems, Artificial Intelligence comes to support the air transport industry.

Improving data technology and computer vision, the industry provides excellent services to travelers in reducing travel time and improving their travel experience. Since some technical errors from bad weather can cause flights to be delayed, it is important to update flight details in advance for passengers to get rid of unnecessary waiting time. With the help of computer vision systems, continuous monitoring of flights can be initiated, which reduces unscheduled performance.

In addition, Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning elements also process real-time flight data, past records, and weather information. This calculation helps uncover hidden patterns, which helps the aviation industry gain useful insight into other possibilities that can cause flight delays and cancellations. This data can be forwarded to travelers, which helps them plan their schedules accordingly.