#AI-Based Traffic Systems

[chrismarkk]

Introduction: The Imperative for Smart Traffic Solutions in a Rapidly Urbanizing World – An In-Depth Analysis

The modern urban landscape is a testament to human ingenuity and ambition, yet it faces unprecedented challenges in its quest to maintain livability and efficiency. The relentless influx of populations into cities, a phenomenon that shows no signs of abating, has placed immense strain on existing infrastructure, particularly transportation networks. Traffic congestion, once a localized issue, has metastasized into a pervasive problem, affecting not only individual commuters but also the economic and environmental health of entire regions. The costs are staggering: billions of dollars lost in productivity annually, countless hours wasted in gridlock, and a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate climate change. Traditional traffic management systems, reliant on static models and limited data, are simply not equipped to handle the sheer volume and variability of modern traffic flows. These systems operate on pre-set schedules, failing to account for real-time fluctuations and unpredictable events. The result is a reactive approach, where traffic managers are constantly playing catch-up, attempting to mitigate congestion after it has already occurred. The need for a paradigm shift is evident. We require systems that can not only react to current conditions but also anticipate future trends, proactively managing traffic flow to minimize disruptions. This is where AI-Based Traffic Management Systems emerge as a beacon of hope. By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence, these systems can process and analyze vast amounts of real-time data, enabling them to make informed decisions and optimize traffic flow in a dynamic and adaptive manner. The potential benefits are immense: smoother commutes, reduced emissions, improved safety, and a more efficient use of resources. As cities continue to grow and evolve, the adoption of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems will become increasingly crucial, not just as a technological advancement, but as a fundamental necessity for sustainable urban development.

Deciphering the Architecture of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems – A Detailed Breakdown

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems are not merely a collection of isolated technologies; they are intricate ecosystems that seamlessly integrate hardware and software to create a holistic traffic management solution. The foundation of these systems lies in their ability to gather and process data from a multitude of sources, providing a comprehensive and granular view of traffic flow.

Ubiquitous Sensors: The Eyes and Ears of the Network: Strategically placed sensors, including in-road detectors, cameras, and GPS devices, form the sensory network of the system. In-road detectors provide real-time data on vehicle speed, volume, and occupancy, while cameras capture images and videos that can be analyzed to detect traffic violations and incidents. GPS devices embedded in vehicles and smartphones contribute location data, providing insights into traffic patterns and travel times. This data is continuously transmitted to a central processing unit, where it is aggregated and analyzed.

The Power of Mobile Connectivity: The Wisdom of the Crowd: Smartphones and connected vehicles have become invaluable sources of traffic data. Smartphone apps can collect data on user location, speed, and travel times, while connected vehicles can transmit information on their position, speed, and direction. This data is aggregated and anonymized to protect user privacy, providing a real-time picture of traffic conditions. Furthermore, drivers can report incidents such as accidents and road closures through these apps, providing valuable information to traffic managers.

The Wisdom of Historical Data: Learning from the Past: AI models are trained on vast amounts of historical traffic data, which includes information on past traffic patterns, weather conditions, and event schedules. This data is used to identify trends and patterns, enabling the AI to predict future traffic conditions with remarkable accuracy. For example, historical data can reveal recurring congestion hotspots and peak hours, allowing traffic managers to proactively adjust signal timings and implement other measures.

The data gathered from these diverse sources is then processed by sophisticated AI algorithms, which perform a range of critical functions:

Intelligent Traffic Flow Analysis: Identifying Bottlenecks and Predicting Congestion: AI algorithms analyze real-time and historical data to identify bottlenecks and predict congestion. These algorithms can identify patterns that are not readily apparent to human observers, allowing traffic managers to anticipate and mitigate potential disruptions.

Real-Time Signal Optimization: Dynamic Adjustment of Signal Timings: AI systems can dynamically adjust signal timings based on real-time traffic conditions, minimizing delays and maximizing throughput. For example, if sensors detect a surge of traffic on a particular street, the system can extend the green light duration to alleviate congestion.

Automated Incident Detection: Rapid Response to Disruptions: AI-powered cameras and sensors can automatically detect accidents, stalled vehicles, and other incidents, triggering rapid responses from emergency services and minimizing the impact on traffic flow.

Dynamic Information Dissemination: Providing Real-Time Updates to Drivers: AI systems can provide drivers with real-time information on traffic conditions, alternative routes, and estimated travel times. This information can be delivered through navigation apps, variable message signs, and other communication channels.

The Symphony of Flow: How AI Orchestrates Traffic Efficiency – A Deeper Dive

The ability of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems to adapt and optimize in real-time is what sets them apart from traditional systems. This adaptability is crucial for creating a harmonious flow of vehicles, minimizing delays, and improving overall efficiency.

Adaptive Signal Control: The Art of Dynamic Adjustment – A Detailed Look: AI systems use advanced algorithms to continuously monitor traffic flow and adjust signal timings in real-time. These algorithms take into account factors such as vehicle speed, density, and direction, as well as pedestrian and cyclist traffic. For example, if sensors detect a group of pedestrians waiting to cross an intersection, the system can extend the pedestrian crossing time to ensure their safety.

Predictive Traffic Modeling: Foreseeing the Future – Advanced Techniques: AI algorithms use machine learning techniques to analyze historical and real-time data and predict future traffic patterns. These algorithms can identify complex relationships between different variables, such as weather conditions, event schedules, and traffic flow. For example, the AI might predict that heavy rain will lead to increased congestion on a particular highway, allowing traffic managers to implement proactive measures.

Incident Detection and Response: Swift and Effective Intervention – Enhanced Capabilities: AI-powered cameras and sensors can automatically detect a wide range of incidents, including accidents, stalled vehicles, and road debris. The system can then alert emergency services, reroute traffic, and provide real-time updates to drivers. Furthermore, AI can be used to analyze incident data and identify patterns that can help prevent future incidents.

Dynamic Lane Management: Optimizing Road Space – Intelligent Lane Assignments: AI systems can dynamically adjust lane assignments based on traffic flow, converting lanes from through lanes to turn lanes during peak hours to improve efficiency. For example, during morning rush hour, a lane that is normally used for through traffic might be converted to a turn lane to alleviate congestion at a busy intersection.

Optimized Routing: Guiding Drivers to Efficiency – Advanced Navigation: AI-powered navigation apps provide drivers with real-time traffic information and suggest optimal routes, taking into account factors such as congestion, road closures, and weather conditions. These apps can also provide personalized recommendations based on driver preferences and past behavior.

The Technological Pillars of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems – A Comprehensive Overview

The effectiveness of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems is underpinned by a confluence of cutting-edge technologies.

Machine Learning: The Engine of Intelligence – Algorithms and Models: Machine learning algorithms are used to train AI models on vast amounts of traffic data, enabling them to predict traffic patterns, optimize signal timings, and detect incidents. These algorithms include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning.

Computer Vision: The Eyes of the System – Image and Video Analysis: Computer vision technology enables AI systems to analyze images and videos from traffic cameras, detecting vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects.

Deep Learning: Unlocking Complex Patterns – Neural Networks: Deep learning, a subset of machine learning, uses neural networks to analyze complex data patterns, excelling at tasks such as image recognition and natural language processing.

Big Data Analytics: Extracting Meaning from Massive Data – Data Processing: AI systems generate and process massive amounts of data, requiring robust big data analytics tools to extract meaningful insights.

Internet of Things (IoT): The Network of Connectivity – Sensor Integration: IoT devices, such as sensors and cameras, provide the real-time data that AI systems need to function, creating a connected network of information.

Cloud Computing: The Powerhouse of Processing – Scalability: Cloud computing platforms provide the storage and processing power needed to handle the vast amounts of data generated by AI traffic management systems.

Real-World Success Stories: AI in Action – Case Studies

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems are already transforming urban mobility in cities around the world.

Pittsburgh, USA: The city's AI-powered traffic signal system has significantly reduced travel times and wait times, demonstrating the tangible benefits of intelligent traffic control.

Los Angeles, USA: AI-driven traffic signal optimization has led to a noticeable reduction in travel times, improving the daily commute for residents.

Singapore: Singapore's comprehensive AI traffic management system, which integrates various data sources and intelligent infrastructure, serves as a model for smart city initiatives.

Dubai, UAE: Dubai is leveraging AI to monitor traffic flow, adjust signal timings, and predict traffic for future events, showcasing the versatility of AI in managing diverse urban environments.

[jrnam]

Reimagining Urban Mobility with AI Based Traffic Management Systems

Discover how AI is reshaping the way we move. In a world where urban congestion is becoming the norm, the need for smarter, faster, and safer traffic solutions has never been more urgent. Enter the AI-based traffic management system—a revolutionary shift from traditional traffic control to intelligent, real-time traffic optimization powered by artificial intelligence and computer vision.

Unlike outdated systems that rely on fixed signals and manual intervention, AI traffic management leverages advanced sensors, predictive analytics, and machine learning to dynamically manage traffic flows, detect violations, and reduce delays. These intelligent systems don’t just respond—they anticipate and act.

One standout innovation in this space is Recon, an AI-driven surveillance and traffic enforcement platform that offers real-time monitoring and automated rule enforcement. Whether deployed in city intersections, gated communities, or industrial zones, Recon uses edge processing and computer vision to detect incidents like wrong-way driving, illegal parking, and red-light jumping—without human input.

A key solution within Recon’s suite is ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition). ANPR uses high-resolution cameras and AI algorithms to accurately read vehicle license plates, enabling automated access control, violation tracking, and real-time alerting. From streamlining entry at residential gates to securing logistics hubs, ANPR makes vehicle monitoring seamless and secure.

Together, Recon and ANPR exemplify how intelligent traffic management systems can help cities and private sectors regain control over mobility, reduce congestion, and elevate road safety—all while reducing costs and environmental impact.

[nickmarksblog]

This blog delves deep into the various aspects of AI Based Traffic Management Systems, covering key components like vehicle classification, incident detection, automatic traffic counting, and license plate recognition. We will explore how AI-driven tools contribute to smarter highways, real-time traffic monitoring, and seamless urban mobility while addressing the challenges and ethical considerations associated with AI implementation.

As cities worldwide strive to become smarter and more connected, AI-based traffic management systems play a crucial role in transforming transportation infrastructure for the future. Read on to discover how these innovations are paving the way for safer and more efficient roads.  

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #16

April 26-May 3 2024

President Biden announced $3 billion to help replace lead pipes in the drinking water system. Millions of Americans get their drinking water through lead pipes, which are toxic, no level of lead exposure is safe. This problem disproportionately affects people of color and low income communities. This first investment of a planned $15 billion will replace 1.7 million lead pipe lines. The Biden Administration plans to replace all lead pipes in the country by the end of the decade.

President Biden canceled the student debt of 317,000 former students of a fraudulent for-profit college system. The Art Institutes was a for-profit system of dozens of schools offering degrees in video-game design and other arts. After years of legal troubles around misleading students and falsifying data the last AI schools closed abruptly without warning in September last year. This adds to the $29 billion in debt for 1.7 borrowers who wee mislead and defrauded by their schools which the Biden Administration has done, and a total debt relief for 4.6 million borrowers so far under Biden.

President Biden expanded two California national monuments protecting thousands of acres of land. The two national monuments are the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which are being expanded by 120,000 acres. The new protections cover lands of cultural and religious importance to a number of California based native communities. This expansion was first proposed by then Senator Kamala Harris in 2018 as part of a wide ranging plan to expand and protect public land in California. This expansion is part of the Administration's goals to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The Department of Transportation announced new rules that will require car manufacturers to install automatic braking systems in new cars. Starting in 2029 all new cars will be required to have systems to detect pedestrians and automatically apply the breaks in an emergency. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects this new rule will save 360 lives every year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.

The IRS announced plans to ramp up audits on the wealthiest Americans. The IRS plans on increasing its audit rate on taxpayers who make over $10 million a year. After decades of Republicans in Congress cutting IRS funding to protect wealthy tax cheats the Biden Administration passed $80 billion for tougher enforcement on the wealthy. The IRS has been able to collect just in one year $500 Million in undisputed but unpaid back taxes from wealthy households, and shows a rise of $31 billion from audits in the 2023 tax year. The IRS also announced its free direct file pilot program was a smashing success. The program allowed tax payers across 12 states to file directly for free with the IRS over the internet. The IRS announced that 140,000 tax payers were able to use it over their target of 100,000, they estimated it saved $5.6 million in tax prep fees, over 90% of users were happy with the webpage and reported it quicker and easier than companies like H&R Block. the IRS plans to bring direct file nationwide next year.

The Department of Interior announced plans for new off shore wind power. The two new sites, off the coast of Oregon and in the Gulf of Maine, would together generate 18 gigawatts of totally clean energy, enough to power 6 million homes.

The Biden Administration announced new rules to finally allow DACA recipients to be covered by Obamacare. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an Obama era policy that allows people brought to the United States as children without legal status to remain and to legally work. However for years DACA recipients have not been able to get health coverage through the Obamacare Health Care Marketplace. This rule change will bring health coverage to at least 100,000 uninsured people.

The Department of Health and Human Services finalized rules that require LGBTQ+ and Intersex minors in the foster care system be placed in supportive and affirming homes.

The Senate confirmed Georgia Alexakis to a life time federal judgeship in Illinois. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 194. For the first time in history the majority of a President's nominees to the federal bench have not been white men.

[tektronixtechnology]

Registration plate Surveys

Public Transport Surveys

Trip Generation Surveys

GPS Journey Time Surveys

Origin Destination Surveys

Link Count Surveys

Smart Parking Surveys

Turning Movement Count

Bus Occupancy Surveys

Intersection Count Surveys

Vehicle Occupancy Surveys

Pedestrian Count Surveys

Cycle Movement Surveys

Vehicle speed surveys

TEK Traffic data survey company. It is one of the most technologically advanced companies offering traffic data counting services. Tektraffic delivers quick and accurate data, which earlier used to take months to collect. traffic data collection

Road Traffic Counting Surveys in Abu Dhabi

Road Traffic Counting Surveys in Dubai

Road Traffic Counting Surveys in Sharjah

Road Traffic Counting Surveys in Ajman

Road Traffic Counting Surveys in Alain

Road Traffic Data Collection in Abu Dhabi

Traffic cameras are strategically positioned to provide wide coverage of roadways, allowing authorities to monitor traffic flow, congestion, and incidents such as accidents or road hazards. They can also be used for security purposes, deterring crime and enhancing public safety.

Traffic Counting Surveys in Abu Dhabi

Traffic Counting System Abu Dhabi

Traffic Data Collection Abu Dhabi

ROAD Traffic Counting Surveys

Road Traffic Counting Companies in UAE

Road Traffic Counting Companies

Road Traffic Surveys UAE

Road Traffic Surveys in Abu Dhabi

Traffic Data Collection in Oman

Road Traffic Camera System Abu Dhabi

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Steve’s Station

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)

If you ever find yourself on the run from the more reputable institutions of the universe, you may be prevailed upon to make your way to a little known star base called “Steve’s Station” in the Cambra system.

Designated as the haven of the underworld, Steve’s Station operates outside the boundaries of all official governing bodies and interplanetary enforcement organizations. It operates as a safe haven at one point or another for every criminal, terrorist, extremist, and other shadowy group that seeks to cause unlawful conduct across the universe.

Normally a station that housed so many unsavory characters would hardly survive a day given the tenacity for grudges its patrons held. It was only through the simple governing of the stations founder, a human known only as “Steve”, that the station was able to not only operate but actively thrive as a hub of underworld activity.

Originally founded some thirty years prior, the human Steve had saved up his life savings to by a third generation mobile station. With only four docking arms and two cargo holds, the third generation stations were largely overlooked as they were the smallest of mobile stations. What did make it more desirable was the fact that it’s smaller size allowed it to make system to system jumps. Even more beneficial was that its core housings could be upgraded and replaced to increase the size of the station if one had the credits.

With the majority of civilized systems already having an overflow of star bases and stations, cutting into the market there would neigh impossible. So Steve instead set course for the Cambra system; a little known and uncharted region of space that barely shows up on star charts save for a pair of skull and bones. This did not dissuade Steve however as he was always of the opportunistic nature.

Forty jumps later and Steve was setting up shop when his first customer came in.

A battered Benaren smuggler had just barely escaped from the authorities and made a blind jump. With his engines all but destroyed from the jump he would have been left to rot had it not been for Steve’s station.

Much to the surprise of the Benaren Steve asked no questions on how the damage came about so long as he followed the station rules.

1.       Pay on time.

2.       Keep your feuds at the door.

3.       Don’t start trouble, lest you want troubles of your own.

Within a short while the smuggler’s ship was repaired and ready to go again. The Benaren paid in full for the repairs and went on their way.

Now that may of well had been the end of Steve’s story had it not been for how connected the criminal underworld was. Not more than three weeks later another group of wayward outcasts and lowlifes stop by the station for use of its quality services.

From there the station’s reputation became wildly known as every criminal, pirate, smuggler, rogue ai and wayward warlord found their way to Steve’s Station to call it home. The wealth being generated from the constant traffic of ships and cargo allowed the station to quickly grow in size as Steve was able to purchase more parts and modules to be included.

Within the first ten years it went it nearly doubled in size, and in another five it was the size of a first 7th generation star base complete with over fifty docking ports and repair bays, sixteen cargo holds for storage, two dozen habitability compartments for stores and clubs, and a fuel depot capable of supplying an entire fleet.

The sheer volume of different factions and cultures using the station facilities would have rapidly devolved into rampant infighting and destruction were it not for the quiet hand of Steve. Patrons kept their animosity at the door unless they wanted to lose access to the safe harbor Steve’s station held. Storage and repair bays were expensive to maintain and were often prime targets for rivals within their own territories, so they were more than happy to maintain a truce while on Steve Station for their own benefit.

At least, that is what the smart ones were willing to abide by.  

--------------

“Give us the access codes and this can all be over.”

The Jinari leaned down and grabbed hold of the human’s head. He lifted it up so the mauled human could see him through his one good eye as the other was well and good swollen shut from the beating his men had given him the moment prior.

Before them lay the one and only human “Steve”; founder of Steve station and currently their captive as they continued with their hostile takeover of the station. Jinari’s group had long wanted to make a name for themselves and by taking control of such a hub of underworld activity they could gain vast amounts of credits to finance their own operations.

It had been easy to breach the station’s control bridge as security was light. The guards had grown lax with the fear of Steve’s displeasure keeping many of the patron’s inline. They’d been dead in moments with the door breached not long after.

Steve had been understandably uncooperative with handing over his access codes that gave full control of the station; so Jinari’s men had proceed with some aggressive interrogation tactics to loosen him.

Steve looked up at Jinari; spitting out a glob of blood on to his shoe and grinned.

“It won’t do you any good you know.”

Jinari’s good mood quickly evaporated as he watched the human Steve begin to laugh.

“You broke the third rule,” he laughed, “you aren’t going to make it out of here alive.”

Before Jinari could ask what the human meant a loud bark of several weapons came from outside the control room followed. The rest of his crew turned their guns on the open doorway as the sound of several heavy footfalls began to draw closer.

“You’ve got one chance,” a deep rattling voice came from outside, “so I want you idiots in there to listen well.”

“Release. The. Human. Steve.” Another voice came in with thick robotic overtones.

“An jus may’be, we lets you go with your bits intact!” One more voice came with a throaty chuckle at the end.

The door to the control room was suddenly ripped open from its frame and the figures entered the room.

“That’s….you’re….” one of Jinari’s crew stammered as the first figure came into view. A towering mass of muscle and bone covered in thick black armor plating.

“Gur, leader of the Black Reavers.”

Gur grinned as his name was spoken with such fear.

Besides him stood an equally tall cybernetic body or polished metal and spikes. It was called “Cybrosis”, the rogue AI responsible for the collapse of three economic zones via hacking and alterations of monetary values.

On the opposite side of Gur stood a squat brutish Ularen decorated with skulls and bones of its victims. This unfortunate figure was Gobsnob, the assassin infamous for decapitating the Hybren prince during his own coronation then escaping with the severed head. Many believed one of the heads mounted on his armor was the prince’s head.

“Let Steve go, and we’ll let you live.” Gur spoke with a calm, collected voice.

Jinari’s eyes darted between the figures now blocking escape from the control room. There were even more waiting patiently in the outside hallway all armed to the teeth. In fear he drew his gun and pointed the muzzle at Steve’s head.

“What makes this flesh sack so special?” He shouted at the group. “It’s just one human! We don’t need him to run this place!”

“Correction.” Cybrosis remarked. “He. Is. The Only. One. Who Can. Run. This. Station.”

“WHY?!” Jianri demanded.

“He makes me laugh!” Gobsnob chuckled.

When the answer did not dissuade Jinari Gur spoke up and pointed at him.

“Deals changed. Whoever kills this stupid metal brain gets to walk free.”

Cybrosis turned to glare at Gur at the remark but said nothing. Jinari laughed and pushed the muzzle deeper against Steve’s head.

“You think my own crew would-“

The bark of an auto-blaster ran out and Jinari collapsed to the floor in a pool of blood and bone. His ribcage now cracked wide open from the blaster fire that tore into his back.

Those gathered turned to see one of Jinari’s crew holding the smoking gun before dropping it to the ground and raising their hands.

“I can go free now, yes?” they stammered.

Gur smiled and reached for something in his pocket. “Nah, I lied.”

Before any of Jinari’s crew could react Gur pulled out a thick barrel cannon from his coat and fired a slug at the thug closest to Steve. The barrel slug slammed the thug back into the wall with enough force to turn him into an art piece.

After that the station patrons who had been waiting outside stormed into the room and quickly subdued the rest of the thugs. They barely had time to get off a round before they were torn to pieces. In some cases quite literally as Gobsnob got ahold of one of them and began beating them to death with their own dismembered arm.

Gur slowly walked forward and helped Steve into the command chair at the center of the room.

“Glad you guys made it.” Steve laughed through bloody teeth. “Was starting to think you’d give me up to that nobhead.”

Gur shook his head. “They broke the rules.” He said calmly, wiping a stain of blood off his boot on Jinari’s twitching corpse. “And here you don’t last long if you break the rules.”

Steve smiled and switched on the com channel for station wide broadcast.

“Attention station,” Steve said calmly, “All possessions belonging to the former Jinari and his crew are now forfeited. Patrons may claim them as they wish for redistribution.”

A low rumble of cheers could be heard echoing down the halls as the denizens of the station began a free-for-all on the would-be takers belongings.  Steve was not finished though.

“Additionally, a free month’s worth of supplies and repairs to the loveable bastards that came to my rescue.”

Even more cheers erupted from those gathered in the control room as they carried off Steve to the nearest bar for celebration.

[asaltyarchon]

A writing event that is pretty popular just came out in support of using Ai to “write”. So… what are we doing instead of NoNoWriMo? I don’t want them having any website traffic no Google searches no use of their hastag NO DONATIONS nothing at all going forward until they change their stance on this. What a (1) massive insult to the writing community as a whole but (2) an insult to the disabled by implying only disabled people use Ai to write and (3) an insult to those who may not be well educated implying they can’t write either without Ai aide!

Quoted from the above link below ⬇️

We also want to be clear in our belief that the categorical condemnation of Artificial Intelligence has classist and ableist undertones, and that questions around the use of AI tie to questions around privilege.

Classism. Not all writers have the financial ability to hire humans to help at certain phases of their writing. For some writers, the decision to use AI is a practical, not an ideological, one. The financial ability to engage a human for feedback and review assumes a level of privilege that not all community members possess.

Ableism. Not all brains have same abilities and not all writers function at the same level of education or proficiency in the language in which they are writing. Some brains and ability levels require outside help or accommodations to achieve certain goals. The notion that all writers “should“ be able to perform certain functions independently or is a position that we disagree with wholeheartedly. There is a wealth of reasons why individuals can't "see" the issues in their writing without help.

General Access Issues. All of these considerations exist within a larger system in which writers don't always have equal access to resources along the chain. For example, underrepresented minorities are less likely to be offered traditional publishing contracts, which places some, by default, into the indie author space, which inequitably creates upfront cost burdens that authors who do not suffer from systemic discrimination may have to incur.

I am actually gobsmacked at this and unless they change their stance I really think we need to let them crumble into dust and disappear.

Edit: guys they’re sponsored by a subscription based Ai…. Archive link here for proof. This explains why they’ve done this, and why we all should double the fuck down and boycott them.

[sag-dab-sar]

Clarification: Generative AI does not equal all AI

💭 "Artificial Intelligence"

AI is machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and more that I'm not smart enough to know. It can be extremely useful in many different fields and technologies. One of my information & emergency management courses described the usage of AI as being a "human centaur". Part human part machine; meaning AI can assist in all the things we already do and supplement our work by doing what we can't.

💭 Examples of AI Benefits

AI can help advance things in all sorts of fields, here are some examples:

Emergency Healthcare & Disaster Risk X

Disaster Response X

Crisis Resilience Management X

Medical Imaging Technology X

Commercial Flying X

Air Traffic Control X

Railroad Transportation X

Ship Transportation X

Geology X

Water Conservation X

Can AI technology be used maliciously? Yeh. Thats a matter of developing ethics and working to teach people how to see red flags just like people see red flags in already existing technology.

AI isn't evil. Its not the insane sentient shit that wants to kill us in movies. And it is not synonymous with generative AI.

💭 Generative AI

Generative AI does use these technologies, but it uses them unethically. Its scraps data from all art, all writing, all videos, all games, all audio anything it's developers give it access to WITHOUT PERMISSION, which is basically free reign over the internet. Sometimes with certain restrictions, often generative AI engineers—who CAN choose to exclude things—may exclude extremist sites or explicit materials usually using black lists.

AI can create images of real individuals without permission, including revenge porn. Create music using someones voice without their permission and then sell that music. It can spread disinformation faster than it can be fact checked, and create false evidence that our court systems are not ready to handle.

AI bros eat it up without question: "it makes art more accessible" , "it'll make entertainment production cheaper" , "its the future, evolve!!!"

💭 AI is not similar to human thinking

When faced with the argument "a human didn't make it" the come back is "AI learns based on already existing information, which is exactly what humans do when producing art! We ALSO learn from others and see thousands of other artworks"

Lets make something clear: generative AI isn't making anything original. It is true that human beings process all the information we come across. We observe that information, learn from it, process it then ADD our own understanding of the world, our unique lived experiences. Through that information collection, understanding, and our own personalities we then create new original things.

💭 Generative AI doesn't create things: it mimics things

Take an analogy:

Consider an infant unable to talk but old enough to engage with their caregivers, some point in between 6-8 months old.

Mom: a bird flaps its wings to fly!!! *makes a flapping motion with arm and hands*

Infant: *giggles and makes a flapping motion with arms and hands*

The infant does not understand what a bird is, what wings are, or the concept of flight. But she still fully mimicked the flapping of the hands and arms because her mother did it first to show her. She doesn't cognitively understand what on earth any of it means, but she was still able to do it.

In the same way, generative AI is the infant that copies what humans have done— mimicry. Without understanding anything about the works it has stolen.

Its not original, it doesn't have a world view, it doesn't understand emotions that go into the different work it is stealing, it's creations have no meaning, it doesn't have any motivation to create things it only does so because it was told to.

Why read a book someone isn't even bothered to write?

Related videos I find worth a watch

ChatGPT's Huge Problem by Kyle Hill (we don't understand how AI works)

Criticism of Shadiversity's "AI Love Letter" by DeviantRahll

AI Is Ruining the Internet by Drew Gooden

AI vs The Law by Legal Eagle (AI & US Copyright)

AI Voices by Tyler Chou (Short, flash warning)

Dead Internet Theory by Kyle Hill

-Dyslexia, not audio proof read-

[chrismarkk]

The Intelligent Flow: Harnessing AI for Smarter Traffic Management

Optimizing Traffic Signals with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems play a crucial role in optimizing traffic signal timings in real time. Unlike conventional traffic lights that operate on fixed schedules, AI-powered systems dynamically adjust signals based on live traffic conditions. By leveraging data from sensors and cameras, these systems analyze vehicle density, speed, and congestion to determine the most efficient signal phases. AI technology ensures a smoother and more efficient flow of traffic by extending green lights when necessary and shortening red lights when traffic is minimal.

Reducing Carbon Emissions with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems significantly contribute to sustainability by optimizing traffic flow and reducing congestion, leading to lower carbon emissions. By minimizing idle times and reducing unnecessary stops, these systems help decrease fuel consumption. AI also promotes the use of public transportation and ride-sharing services by streamlining traffic patterns, further reducing the number of private vehicles on the road and lowering overall emissions.

Predictive Analytics in AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

One of the core advantages of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems is predictive analytics, which enables authorities to anticipate congestion and manage traffic efficiently. AI algorithms process both historical and real-time traffic data to identify patterns, peak traffic hours, and bottlenecks. These insights allow for proactive measures, such as adjusting signal timings, planning road maintenance, and implementing strategic rerouting, ensuring a seamless traffic experience.

Enhancing Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Through AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety by integrating intelligent monitoring and adaptive interventions. AI-powered cameras and sensors detect pedestrians and cyclists at intersections, ensuring safe crossing times by adjusting traffic signals accordingly. By analyzing high-risk areas, AI systems can introduce safety enhancements like dedicated bike lanes and advanced pedestrian alerts, fostering a more secure and inclusive urban environment.

Cost Considerations of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems: Is It Justified?

Although the initial investment in AI-Based Traffic Management Systems may be significant, the long-term benefits make it a worthwhile expenditure. The reduction in congestion, improved road safety, lower emissions, and enhanced efficiency result in substantial savings in fuel and productivity costs. Additionally, the valuable data collected by these systems supports better urban planning and infrastructure development, maximizing cost-effectiveness over time.

Reducing Fuel Consumption with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems contribute to fuel efficiency by reducing stop-and-go traffic, optimizing routes, and cutting down idle times. By ensuring a smooth and continuous flow of vehicles, these systems lower overall fuel consumption. AI-driven solutions also encourage carpooling and public transportation use, further decreasing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a more sustainable transportation network.

The Role of Cloud Computing in AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

Cloud computing is a fundamental component of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems, offering the necessary storage and processing capabilities to manage vast traffic data. These cloud-based platforms facilitate real-time analytics, predictive modeling, and remote management of traffic systems. By integrating data from multiple sources, such as sensors, cameras, and connected vehicles, cloud computing enhances the efficiency and scalability of AI-driven traffic management.

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems on Highways and Expressways

On highways and expressways, AI-Based Traffic Management Systems regulate traffic flow, detect incidents, and implement dynamic speed adjustments. Real-time data from sensors and cameras allow AI algorithms to predict congestion and take proactive steps such as altering lane assignments and activating variable message signs. These systems enhance highway efficiency, ensuring safer and more streamlined travel.

Managing Traffic During Major Events with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems are particularly useful during large-scale events such as concerts, festivals, and sports games. AI algorithms analyze event schedules and historical traffic data to predict congestion patterns, enabling authorities to adjust signal timings, reroute vehicles, and provide real-time updates to drivers. These systems also facilitate coordinated parking and public transportation services, minimizing disruptions and ensuring smooth traffic flow.

Addressing Privacy and Ethical Concerns in AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

The use of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems raises concerns regarding data privacy and ethics. These systems collect large amounts of data from traffic cameras, sensors, and connected vehicles, requiring robust security measures. To ensure public trust, governments and technology providers are developing transparent policies that include data anonymization, user consent protocols, and stringent cybersecurity measures.

Utilizing Real-Time Data in AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

Real-time data is the backbone of AI-Based Traffic Management Systems. These systems continuously gather and process data from sensors, surveillance cameras, and connected vehicles to make informed decisions about signal timings, lane management, and rerouting. The ability to respond instantly to changing traffic conditions enhances road safety and minimizes disruptions, ensuring a more efficient and adaptive traffic system.

Comparing AI-Based Traffic Management Systems Across Different Countries

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems vary worldwide based on infrastructure, technological advancements, and government policies. While some nations have fully integrated AI-driven traffic solutions, others focus on specific implementations such as adaptive signal control and automated incident detection. By examining these global approaches, urban planners can identify best practices and potential improvements for AI-driven traffic management.

The Role of Drones and Surveillance in AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

Drones and surveillance technologies augment AI-Based Traffic Management Systems by offering aerial monitoring and real-time traffic oversight. Drones assist in assessing road conditions, detecting incidents, and managing large-scale traffic events. Surveillance cameras track violations and pedestrian movement, improving overall traffic safety. However, the deployment of these technologies must address privacy concerns through responsible implementation and secure data handling.

Supporting Law Enforcement with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems assist law enforcement agencies by automating the detection and enforcement of traffic violations. AI-powered cameras capture incidents such as speeding and red-light violations, while real-time analytics help identify high-risk areas for targeted interventions. Additionally, AI-generated traffic reports enable faster responses to accidents and emergencies, enhancing overall public safety.

Expanding AI-Based Traffic Management Systems to Rural Areas

While rural areas face fewer congestion challenges than urban centers, AI-Based Traffic Management Systems can still offer significant benefits. AI can optimize signal timings, improve incident detection, and enhance real-time traffic monitoring in rural regions. These systems are particularly useful for managing seasonal traffic patterns and agricultural transport logistics, though their implementation depends on cost-effectiveness and data availability.

Combating Traffic Violations Using AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems effectively detect and prevent traffic violations by automating monitoring and enforcement. AI-driven cameras and sensors identify speeding, illegal turns, and red-light infractions, triggering instant alerts to authorities. Data analytics pinpoint high-risk zones, allowing for targeted enforcement strategies that enhance compliance and improve road safety.

Enhancing Ride-Sharing Services with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems optimize ride-sharing services by predicting demand, identifying efficient routes, and reducing travel times. AI algorithms analyze live traffic data to dynamically allocate ride-sharing resources, ensuring a smooth passenger experience. Additionally, real-time updates on traffic conditions help drivers and passengers make informed decisions, further enhancing urban mobility.

Integrating Smart Parking Solutions with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

AI-Based Traffic Management Systems support smart parking solutions by detecting available spaces in real time. AI-powered sensors and cameras monitor parking areas, analyzing occupancy trends to predict space availability. These insights are integrated into navigation apps, reducing time spent searching for parking and minimizing congestion in urban centers.

Tackling Rush Hour Challenges with AI-Based Traffic Management Systems

Rush hour congestion presents a significant challenge, but AI-Based Traffic Management Systems address this issue through adaptive signal control, predictive analytics, and lane optimization. By processing live traffic data, these systems adjust signals, reroute vehicles, and dynamically manage lanes to alleviate peak-hour congestion. AI-driven traffic alerts and variable message signs further enhance commuter experience, ensuring a more efficient rush hour flow.

[sls-manchester-official]

Precentor Devlin Jacobs stood in zero G on the bridge of the Erinyes, his magboots locking him to the deck. Outside the bridge viewports, he could see the latticework structures of the drydock, cradling the massive vessel that he was temporarily calling home.

Each vessel in the Helios Mothball Fleet had a rotating skeleton crew, the minimum number necessary to maintain vital ship systems while they were shut down. Rumor had it that when their ancestors had arrived, they had set up a fully operational SDS system centered on Helios, but everyone said that was all coordinated via the AI research base on Helios' moon, and in any case no one had seen an SDS vessel in decades - if there were crews going out to perform maintenance on those ships, they weren't telling anyone about it.

Only a handful of small corvettes and frigates remained active and operational, alongside a swarm of DropShips that handled most intrasystem transit and transport. It was ironic, thought Devlin, that getting posted to one of those vessels was regarded as a fate to be avoided among those of the Heliosan navy - sure, you were on active duty, but conditions were cramped, the ships were old and cranky, and most of the command officers aboard were hard drivers, almost as fanatic as the ROM weirdos on Helios itself.

No, it was far better to be on one of the skeleton crews. Sleeping ships couldn't be cranky, the quarters on these larger vessels were much better, and while there wasn't a lot to do, it at least left a lot of time for relaxation. Each of the systems two mothball facilities - one each at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points - had their own space station, each of which served as a home away from home for those crews assigned to care for the mothballed vessels. Each station was a stack of five grav decks, each 2 kilometers in radius, arrayed around a central core.

Considered "wonders the system" by Heliosan tourists, a portion of the traffic to and from the stations was indeed civilian - they were dual-use structures, leftovers from the early days of the Diaspora before Helios had been fully settled again, with little permanent population other than their own crews. The station crews had been originally drawn from the Belter populations of the Sol system, and were generally as oddball as many of the stories told about their ancestors.

But, as much as the civilian amenities and personable crews made living on the stations comfortable, it was when he was aboard the Erinyes that Devlin felt truly at home. He knew what she had been built to do, of course, and that purpose had terrified him. But Erinyes, like a great dragon, slept. Had slept for years and years. She was his to care for, and he knew that to wake her meant something was going horribly wrong. Out of the viewports, past the drydock in which Erinyes slept, Devlin could see dozens of other vessels - a score of Diaspora class JumpShips, a pair of cruisers, a battleship, and support vessels.

And then, suddenly, with the lensing bubbles and bright flashes of successful Kearny-Fuchida jumps, three more vessels were among the mothball fleet. Devlin stared at them, at the symbol on their sides he could easily see through the massive bridge viewports. Devlin's stunned brain supplied only two thoughts.

The Star League? What the hell is going on?

( @is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not )

Commodore Mikolaj looked out at the dozens of Heliosan ships scattered across the starfield before them, floating in the void near a considerably-sized space station which, if the HUD painting the bridge windows in blue light was correct, sat exactly at the Lagrange point of the system.

"Status report." She ordered, glancing across the array of officers at terminals all around her as they gave their reports in clipped tones, all systems operational and ready, with boarding parties ready to go, just as she'd ordered.

"Excellent work, ladies and gentlemen," she said. "Now get me a reading on those ships. Intel says it's a mothball fleet, but I'll confirm that for myself."

After a few tense moments, one of the officers spoke up. "No signatures that would indicate an enemy combat-ready ship in the local voidspace, Ma'am." Collen nodded, thanking the man with a nod as she turned to her comms officer.

"Wilson, what's the chatter like? Any orders for battle stations?" The balding man turned slightly, though his eyes stayed locked on the rapidly-scrolling wall of text before him.

"Mostly confusion, Ma'am. It seems they had no clue the invasion was even happening. As far as they're concerned, we've undergone temporal displacement from Amaris' War."

"Very good," she said, reviewing the sensor readouts that were just now beginning to fill her command console, indicating that the entire fleet was on external power from the station, with not a single weapon powered up. "Prepare to broadcast on all frequencies, let's serve up our demands."

Colleen leaned forward, ensuring the microphone in her console would pick up her voice loud and clear, and when Wilson gave her the nod, she began.

@is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not

[jrnam]

Why AI Based Traffic Management Systems Are the Future of Urban Planning

In the past, city planning was largely focused on infrastructure—roads, highways, flyovers, and signals. But as urban populations grow and mobility demands increase, traditional traffic systems are proving inadequate. They’re often reactive, slow to adapt, and disconnected from the real-time flow of life on the roads. Today, city planners are rethinking the very foundation of mobility. The solution? Intelligent systems powered by artificial intelligence.

The AI based traffic management system is revolutionizing how we view traffic—not just as a problem to be managed, but as a dynamic ecosystem to be optimized. With smart technologies like computer vision, real-time analytics, and machine learning at their core, these systems represent a seismic shift in urban planning. They are the building blocks of smart cities, enabling smoother commutes, faster emergency responses, and safer roads for everyone.

The Challenge with Traditional Urban Traffic Systems

Legacy traffic control systems were built on rigid rules and limited automation. Most rely on static signal timings, manual surveillance, and siloed data from isolated systems. These outdated frameworks result in:

Prolonged congestion during peak hours

Delayed emergency response due to inefficient routing

Lack of insights for future planning

Increased emissions due to idle times

Higher operational costs for city authorities

Simply put, traditional methods can no longer keep pace with modern urban life.

This is where AI based traffic management system step in—bringing intelligence, automation, and adaptability to the forefront.

What Is an AI Based Traffic Management System?

An AI based traffic management system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to monitor, manage, and optimize traffic flow across a city or campus. It works in real-time, collecting data through advanced sensors, computer vision cameras, and edge devices.

What makes it intelligent is not just its ability to see what’s happening, but to understand it. These systems interpret vehicle behavior, predict congestion, detect violations, and adjust traffic controls dynamically. They can even prioritize emergency vehicles, reroute traffic during events, and deliver data-driven insights to planners.

Unlike conventional systems, which require extensive manual effort, AI-based solutions are autonomous, scalable, and designed for continuous improvement. They learn from traffic patterns over time, becoming more effective with every use.

Key Components of Intelligent Traffic Management Systems

An Intelligent Traffic Management System typically includes the following:

Computer Vision Cameras: These cameras capture video footage and use AI to detect vehicles, pedestrians, lane violations, and more.

Edge Computing Devices: These process data locally to reduce latency and support real-time decisions.

Machine Learning Algorithms: These models learn from historical and real-time data to improve prediction accuracy and traffic response.

Integrated Control Systems: These manage traffic signals, barriers, and display boards, enabling dynamic control based on current conditions.

Central Monitoring Dashboards: These offer a comprehensive view of all traffic inputs and outputs, helping planners make informed decisions.

One powerful feature suite within these systems is GateGuard, designed specifically for access control, vehicle monitoring, and smart surveillance.

Deep Dive: GateGuard and Its Advanced Features

GateGuard is an AI-powered module designed to monitor, track, and manage vehicle entry and exit with unmatched precision. While it's ideal for use in controlled environments like campuses, factories, or gated communities, it also plays a critical role in large-scale urban mobility systems. Here's a breakdown of its features:

1. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)

GateGuard uses AI-enabled cameras for instant license plate detection. With high accuracy, it can identify registered, unauthorized, or blacklisted vehicles in real-time. Whether used in public traffic surveillance or private campus monitoring, ANPR is critical for law enforcement, visitor management, and security.

2. Vehicle Classification

Every vehicle is categorized by type—car, truck, bus, two-wheeler, etc. This data is vital for enforcing traffic rules (e.g., truck-restricted zones), improving toll collection, and designing infrastructure that aligns with usage trends. In urban planning, understanding what kinds of vehicles frequent which roads enables more intelligent zoning and infrastructure decisions.

3. Entry & Exit Management

GateGuard seamlessly logs every vehicle's entry and exit, tracking the time, frequency, and duration of stay. This system works not just for private properties but can also integrate with city-wide surveillance to monitor real-time road usage patterns and spot anomalies.

4. Boom Barrier Integration

A standout feature of GateGuard is its integration with automated boom barriers. Based on pre-set rules—such as approved license plates or time windows—the system can open or restrict access autonomously. This not only increases efficiency but also reduces reliance on human guards and minimizes potential errors.

5. AI Alerts and Notifications

Whether it’s an unauthorized vehicle, prolonged parking, or unexpected reverse driving, GateGuard immediately notifies the concerned authorities through a centralized dashboard or mobile alert. This quick response system improves both safety and operational efficiency.

6. Analytics and Reporting

Beyond surveillance, GateGuard offers rich data analytics—peak entry times, high-traffic days, repeat visitors, vehicle-type distribution, and more. These insights are invaluable for traffic planners, enabling them to refine road layouts, design better checkpoints, and prepare for future demand.

GateGuard is a prime example of how AI based traffic management system can bring control, clarity, and foresight to traffic management, something traditional systems simply cannot offer.

Real-World Applications of AI Based Traffic Management Systems

Cities around the world are adopting AI-powered systems to future-proof their infrastructure. Here’s how these systems are already making an impact:

1. Smart Cities

Municipal authorities use Intelligent Traffic Management Systems to monitor intersections, reduce congestion, and automate violation detection. These systems adjust signal timings in real time based on vehicle density, helping reduce travel time and fuel consumption.

2. Factories and Warehouses

GateGuard-style solutions are used to track logistics vehicles, manage loading/unloading schedules, and ensure only authorized transport enters the premises. This minimizes delays and enhances operational security.

3. Corporate and Educational Campuses

AI-based entry and exit monitoring improves perimeter security, maintains a log of vehicle traffic, and enables touchless access—perfect for modern, tech-enabled workplaces and universities.

4. Residential Complexes

Homeowners associations and building managers use AI systems to ensure only approved vehicles enter. GateGuard allows for automated visitor tracking, emergency alerting, and seamless parking management.

5. Transport and Logistics Hubs

Large hubs use AI based traffic management system to streamline inbound and outbound vehicle flows, minimize idle time at checkpoints, and increase throughput.

Benefits Beyond Traffic

Investing in AI traffic solutions brings broad benefits, not just for commuters but also for policymakers, businesses, and the environment.

Improved Public Safety: Faster detection of risky behavior—wrong-side driving, overspeeding, or illegal parking—means quicker resolution and fewer disruptions.

Cost Savings: Automation reduces the need for large manual staff and cuts long-term operational costs.

Reduced Carbon Emissions: By easing congestion and idle time, these systems contribute directly to cleaner air.

Data-Driven Planning: Real-time dashboards and historical trends provide urban planners with the tools they need to make informed infrastructure decisions.

Disaster Management: During emergencies, AI systems can prioritize critical routes, guide emergency services, and coordinate evacuation paths more effectively.

The Road Ahead: A Smarter, Sustainable Future

As we move further into the age of smart cities, the need for scalable, intelligent, and responsive traffic solutions will only grow. Whether it’s through integrated systems like GateGuard or full-fledged AI Based Traffic Management Systems, these technologies are laying the foundation for urban environments that are not just livable—but future-ready.

Governments, city planners, and private stakeholders must work hand-in-hand to ensure widespread adoption of these solutions. From updating policy frameworks to investing in infrastructure upgrades, embracing these systems is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s an urgent necessity.

Conclusion

The future of urban planning will be defined by how intelligently we move people and goods through complex environments. AI-based systems are no longer experimental they’re real, proven, and already transforming cities worldwide.

By adopting an AI based traffic management system cities can move beyond the old model of reactive control toward a proactive, adaptive, and efficient urban experience. With intelligent tools like GateGuard leading the charge, we’re not just solving traffic we’re unlocking the full potential of urban life.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Monica Lenis was in Great Exuma, Bahamas, yesterday when she caught this image of Starship's explosion. Thank you, Monica! SpaceX's flagship vehicle, #Starship - designed to take humans to the moon and Mars - exploded midair late yesterday minutes after its test launch from a beach in south Texas. Other aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico were forced to alter their courses in order to avoid the falling debris, which was seen by beachgoers in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Starship itself was completely lost. Meanwhile, the Super Heavy booster that had launched Starship successfully returned to the launchpad and was caught in midair. Read more at https://earthsky.org/human-world/starship-explodes-minutes-after-launch-planes-diverted/

EarthSky

* * *

In what sounds like an attempt to hand over air traffic control systems to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system and his AI company, Trump today said—and here are his words, as Aaron Rupar transcribed them—“We’re all gonna sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers. Brand new. Not pieced together, obsolete, like it is, land-based. Trying to hook up a land based system to a satellite system. The first thing that some experts told me when this happened is you can’t hook up land to satellites and you can’t hook up satellites to land. It doesn’t work. We spend billions of billions of dollars trying to renovate an old, broken system, instead of just saying cut it loose, and let’s spend less money and build a great system one by two or three companies, very good companies, specialists, that’s all it is. They used 39 companies. That means that 39 different hookups have to happen. And I don’t know how many people of you are good in terms of all the kinds of things necessary for that. And it's very complex stuff. But when you have 39 different companies working on hooking up different cities at different people. You need one company. With one set of equipment. And there are some countries that have unbelievable air controller systems. And they would’ve, bells would’ve gone off when that helicopter literally even hit the same height. Because it traveled a long distance before it hit. It was just like, just wouldn’t stop. Follow the line. But bells and whistles would’ve gone off. They have ‘em where it actually could virtually turn the thing around. It would’ve just never happened if we had the right equipment . And one of things that’s gonna be, I'm gonna speaking to John and to Mike and to Chuck and everybody, we have to get together and just as a single bill just pass where we get the best control system. When I land in my plane, privately, I use a system from another country because my captain tells me, I’m landing in New York and I’m using a sys— I won’t tell you what country, but I use a system from another country because the captain says ‘This thing is so bad, it’s so obsolete.’ And we can’t have that.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted today that “the DOGE team” is “going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” saying that “‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling.”

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton pointed out that “US airlines had gone 16 years without fatal crashes. Then MAGA fired the FAA chief, gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and threatened air traffic controllers with layoffs. Now there have been two fatal crashes. Hope your unvetted 22-year-olds fix things fast.”

Critics of the idea of Musk taking over the nation’s air traffic control systems note that his Tesla electric vehicles have the highest fatal accident rate among all car brands in America. The average fatal crash rate is 2.8 per billion vehicle miles driven; Tesla has a rate of 5.6 per billion miles driven. On social media, “God” posted: “Thou shalt not let the foreign billionaire whose rockets blow up all the time anywhere near the air traffic control system,” an apparent reference to the January 16 explosion of a SpaceX rocket over the Caribbean that scattered debris over the region led the Federal Aviation Administration to lock down airspace over Turks and Caicos.

[Heather Cox Richardson : Letters From An American: Feb.6,2025]

[mariacallous]

Just shy of half past 1 in the morning, the MV Dali, a giant container ship, was sailing gently out of the port of Baltimore when something went terribly wrong. Suddenly, lights all over the 300-meter-long vessel went out. They flicked on again a moment later, but the ship then began to veer to the right, toward one of the massive pylon-like supports on the Francis Scott Key truss bridge—a huge mass of steel and concrete that spans the Patapsco River.

The Dali’s lights went out a second time. Then the impact came. The ship plowed into the support, with large sections of the bridge’s main truss section instantly snapping apart and falling into the river. It took just 20 seconds or so for the structure to come down.

Now, a major US port is in disarray, and several people who were working on the bridge at the time of its collapse are missing. A rescue operation is underway. President Biden has called the disaster a “terrible accident.” Ship traffic is currently stuck on either side of the crash site, and a major roadway through Baltimore has been cut off.

“It’s a dreadful tragedy and something you hope never to see,” says David Knight, a bridge expert and specialist adviser to the UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers. But commenting on footage of the bridge collapse, he says he is not surprised by the manner in which it crumpled.

Large steel structures may seem invulnerable, but steel, explains Knight, is relatively lightweight for its size. As soon as it is pushed or pulled the wrong way with enough force, it can fold like paper. In this case, the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a “continuous,” or unjointed, bridge that had a 366-meter-long central truss section. (Truss bridges use steel beams, arranged in triangular shapes, to support their load.) The central truss was made up of three horizontal stretches, known as spans, with two sets of supports holding these above the water. It was the third-largest structure of its kind in the world.

“When you take a support away, there is very little in the way of robustness,” says Knight. “It will drag down, as we saw, all three spans.” The separate approach spans remain standing. There is nothing in Knight’s view that immediately suggests any structural problem with the bridge. An engineering firm, Hardesty & Hanover, confirmed to WIRED that it performed an inspection of the bridge in 2019, and that other inspections have been carried out since, but did not provide any additional details on the state of the structure. WIRED has approached H&H for further comment. In June last year, the US Federal Highway Administration rated the condition of the bridge as satisfactory.

The immense force of the container ship impact should not be underestimated, adds Knight. Such vessels require a lot of power and time—perhaps many minutes—to come to a complete stop. The Francis Scott Key Bridge was completed in 1977. In more recent decades, bridge engineers have commonly incorporated defenses to reduce the potential damage by ship strikes when bridges are erected in similar locations, Knight says. These include hydraulic barriers and additional concrete around the base of bridge supports, for instance. However, even with such fortifications in place, heavy strikes can still cause devastating damage.

It is not clear why lights turned off and on again on the Dali, a Singapore-flagged ship built in 2015. “That is an indication of a massive problem,” says Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian at Campbell University in North Carolina and a YouTuber who has analyzed the crash.

At the time of the accident, two pilots—mariners who board a ship to help it navigate particular stretches of water, including in and out of ports—from Baltimore were on board. The Dali was broadcasting its position publicly via the automatic identification system (AIS) and was traveling at a speed of over 8.5 knots. It then slowed to around 6 knots in the moments before the crash, according to AIS data.

Both pilots and all crew members on the Dali are accounted for. There are no reports of injuries, the ship’s management company, Synergy Group, said in a statement on March 26.

ABC News reports that the crew of the vessel made a desperate mayday call in an attempt to warn transport officials that the crash was about to occur. A report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, seen by ABC, says the Dali “lost propulsion” and that the crew were aware they had “lost control” of the ship. Maryland governor Wes Moore told reporters that, thanks to the mayday call, officials were able to stem the flow of traffic over the bridge, an intervention that he says “saved lives.”

Mercogliano says it is very difficult for ships of this size to make rapid adjustments to their trajectories. Video footage shows a sudden outpouring of smoke from the vessel’s stack, indicating a change in engine activity of some kind. What is particularly disturbing is that, in this case, the vessel ends up plowing straight into one of the key supports for the bridge, clearly off course. No information as to why this happened has become public.

Photographs of the aftermath show the bow of the ship pinned beneath fallen sections of the bridge. The anchor chain is visible, meaning that at some point the anchor was dropped, though it is not certain whether this happened before or after impact. The chain appears to be at an angle, however, which Mercogliano says could be a sign that it was dropped shortly before the crash and dragged for a brief time.

Lawyer James Turner of Quadrant Chambers in London specializes in, among other things, ship collisions. He says that there would have been no automated systems on board a merchant ship of this kind able to prevent the impact. Information from radar, AIS, and visual observations would have been available to the crew, however.

But data-collecting systems may now reveal exactly what happened. As on airplanes, commercial ships have data and audio recorders on the bridge, which are often a key source of information for investigators post-incident. “The master will hit a button and that ensures that the last two hours of audio recording are preserved, as well as all the data from the various parts of the ship, like the engine and steering and so on,” explains Turner. “That can be downloaded and queried.”

He adds that estimates of the ship’s speed at the time of the incident as recorded by AIS are likely “99.99 percent accurate.”

For now, the focus of responders will be on locating survivors from the fallen bridge. Two people have been rescued, one of whom is in the hospital. Six construction workers remain missing.

The disaster has come at a difficult time for shipping, with drought afflicting the Panama Canal and Houthi attacks striking multiple vessels in the Red Sea in recent months. Somali piracy is on the rise again, also. The grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal is very much still within recent memory—it occurred a mere three years ago.

The Port of Baltimore insists in a statement that it has not been shut down—road vehicles are still operating within the port—however, all ship traffic in and out is suspended until further notice. AIS data reveals around a dozen commercial vessels at anchor outside the port, their entry now blocked by the stricken bridge and the Dali. It will take some time for the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove the steel pieces of the bridge, which present a significant threat to passing vessels, from the river.

“Whatever ships are in the port are now stuck,” says Mercogliano, who notes that Baltimore is an important port in terms of car deliveries and coal exports.

Overall, he argues, maritime operations are extremely safe today, though the volume and velocity of trade mean that when things go wrong it can be especially serious.

“We move goods a lot faster than ever before, and there’s very little margin for error,” he says. “When there is a mistake, the mistakes tend to be very large.”

[doomsday-architect]

Horrific DC aircraft collision 💥

Here's a question.......

Would an AI voice system been able to prevent the collision in the first place?

Humans, over time, will NOT be able to handle an UNLIMITED amount of ait traffic.

Hiring, training, replacing human controllers and distributing them where needed at moments notice will be impossible.

Does anyone NOT believe the FAA is testing an AI based air traffic control system?

[marcusrobertobaq]

Why people often confuses Connor's deviancy with Hank's relationship status:

They got similar impacts after a point the story. Usually when the SI goes up are choices that also gonna impact Hank's rep positively. But as u can see they're totally unrelated, not only in the narrative but also the math system.

So, no... Connor doesn't deviate cuz of Hank. That's not true. I believe the devs themselves realized leaving a dialogue implying that would go against what they constructed and also becoming a plot hole when you're outside one specific route (an issue the game got overall).

(deviant Connor about Markus if dude got killed in Crossroads)

According to the narrative there may be 3 main reasons why he can choose deviating:

Amanda AI betrayal, when he also thought he mattered enough for CL to not lie to him (Daniel parallel);

Finding common ground with the deviants story, empathizing with 'em (esp the Tracis);

Realizing he ain't doing "the right thing" by helping the megacorporation to repress androids - he included, as they're using him as just some tool.

As he may have 3 main reasons to choose not deviating:

Believe deviants are extremly dangerous to humans, a threat to the country and to innocent people - and he's the one that can help preventing chaos from happening (CL propaganda);

Believe deviants are no better than "bad" humans he met along the way and that he's the one that can help prevent chaos from happening (CL propaganda + experience);

Fear of failing his mission, his whole purpose and ending up as 100% nothing (not useful) for Amanda - someone he got a level of attachment -, consequently ceasing to exist (dying) in the end (not even destroyed but the existence totally deleted).

In resume Connor's machine vs deviancy clash looks like a mix of doubts/conflicts about the deviancy situation + fear of "death" (ceasing to exist).

According to the narrative Connor's main topic related to Hank, something not impacted about the machine vs deviancy clash, is his worry and empathy towards Hank's trauma: mf's a traffic accident survivor, got a bad relationship with androids "cheating death" due to his own son's death as it's basically an INSULT when all the guy wants is having his kid (kids are quite a relevant topic in Connor's arc btw) back in his arms + the belief an android is responsible for Cole's death in attempt to ease his own sense of guilty.

All dude wants is Hank to overcome this trauma cuz it worsened things like suicidal tendencies and alcoholism - and also his hatred for androids.

Ain't only cuz these personal issues can make his job difficult but also cuz he starts respecting Hank and where mf came from after a point in the game, even if he "hates" the guy's guts.

I'd say Hank's experience alongside Connor in the case witnessing deviants stories confirming his negative opinion on humans made him realize he was being a coward this whole time attacking the wrong people:

and sadly his rep with Connor alone is what decides if the guy finally act upon his bullshit and "uses his suicidal tendencies" to fight for what he think it's right (telling law enforcement to fuck off definitely) or die in cowardice in his own house by his own hand victim of this same issue.

I can't help but say it's again continuation issues as this scene makes no sense when you're outside a very specific route.

A better summary would be: Connor doesn't deviate cuz of Hank, but Hank "deviates" cuz of Connor (due to bad design cuz Connor himself shouldn't be the reason he changes his mind but the whole picture imo).

I believe to fully visualize a character and context in a game like this we need to analyze each variation in the story, not only playing a specific route - the easiest one they call "full best ending", the one the game itself helps u to get - cuz it's easy losing context and also a good part of the character's range of expressions. When u do that u realize the character got a base that won't change doesn't matter how u play.

I'm offering y'all material to work with and go explore yourselves cuz i've been seeing some terrible takes recently and got "where tf is this in the canon bible?". What u gon do with this info ain't my jurisdiction anymore, my mission ends here.

[jellisdraws]

WIP Whenever

It’s been a while since I posted anything from my Cyberfantasy WIP so…

The helm was a vision straight out of the last century of star cruisers , retrofitted into something more functionally modern. It's dated darksteel panels were accented with rust red ironwood, and a full suite of leather chairs and stations sat vacant on either side of the conically shaped room. In the middle of the room where an old timey captain's chair may have sat, a 12 foot tall, 8 foot wide inky black egg shaped pod was welded into the floor, it's sleek sides seamed with glowing strings of runes. Past the navigation egg, the circular front viewport glowed with the purple hue of the light spilling from the Gate, the traffic ahead of them mere dots of black with their own aetheric glow of main thrusters, slowly idling their way forward, waiting their turn to warp. Wires and cables humming with magic running out of the base of the pod disappeared under the floor panelling - Was that… mahogany? - and reappeared where they linked into the various navigation and control stations across the bridge. Advancements in cognition-enhancing alchemy, magics, and technology like Jack’s own implanted cyberbrain now allowed the entire suite of operating systems for a starship like this one to be controlled by one person- a fact not lost on the starlining corporations.

Now that Automaton Intelligences were calling for equal treatment as kith, and even the corporate funded governments were having to give way in order to appease their constituents both organic and manufactured, it was far cheaper to just maintain the fewest employees possible and focus on guild busting tactics. Paying for stimulants, overtime and legal payouts when things went wrong was far cheaper than paying a living wage and hiring Shipboard AI to supplement helmsmen. The pilots guild was more or less a full fledged insurrection anymore, hijacking, blockading and destroying Corpo ships across the Unified Systems. They supposedly maintained sleeper representatives across the various starliner companies, those willing to quietly recruit new guild members or crash starships into trade hubs in firey protest. Split between the Corpos bearing down on them and the Guild’s aggressive recruiting tactics, every pilot and helmsman Jack had ever met had been either stupefyingly boring or batshit insane. She hoped this one counted among the former.

(Rest under the cut)

A voice floated out of the Comm rune on the egg, “Hey, just a heads up we’re about T minus 16 minutes to warp. Not to put too much pressure on you, but non essential systems will be going down as we warp, standard procedure, and they wont be back on till we’re headed into final approach.”

“Right.” Jack said, edging around the pod, trying to get a view of the person inside

“It's weird you know, I don't remember logging a request.”

Jack froze, waiting for alarms, waiting for the doors behind her to open, but the voice continued, “ Sometimes I forget about the small stuff though, or maybe it's an old one- glad they're finally sending someone to deal with stuff like this,” The voice was dreamy- like their attention was largely elsewhere- which Jack supposed it was; flying large scale starships was consuming work.

She finally scooted in front of the navigation egg, peering through the layers and layers of projected information and glowing sensor displays on the glass of the viewing window into the beautiful reflective eyes of a mermaid. She smiled dreamily at Jack as she floated gracefully in the suspending fluid of the egg. She was around 4 feet tall, with a slender feminine torso covered in opalescent white scales that shifted into a curling, ridged neon yellow seahorse tail. Her pale green curls were trapped beneath a pair of headphones she had pulled around her neck- the cord of which disappeared into the top of the egg. Her eyes were the color and quality of mercury, sitting prettily in a heart shaped face. She had a prominent tattoo of an incredibly buff orcish man in a navy cap and not much else along her sternum. Down the sides of her neck and collar Jack could see her gills filtering. Jack had to remind herself to look the woman in her eyes.

“Hi there,” Jack said.

“Yeah, hi,” returned the dreamy voice through the pod, though Jack couldn't see the Mermaids lips move, “Feel free to do what you need to do, We got about- oh… just under 14 minutes now.”

“Right. I don't suppose we could speed that up?” Jack asked

“Speed it up how?”

“Most ships have thrusters I believe, they are used to provide thrust. I would like there to be more thrust.”

“Oh.”

Jack unfolded the titanium blade from her hand and pressed the tip into the glass of the navigation egg with what she hoped was a menacing click, her black eyes meeting the Mermaids mercury ones, “Im hijacking the ship.”

“Oh, Okay.”

“‘Okay?’ What the fuck do you mean, ‘Okay’?”

“I was acquiescing.” the mermaid said.

“I just told you I was stealing the ship. Why would you acquiesce to that? Who says acquiesce anymore?”

“I dunno. Protocol I think.”

“Protocol says to agree to hijacking?”

“Yeah.”

“I need to be through the Hyperlane gate as fast as you can get us there…?”

“Madolyn.”said Madolyn the mermaid.

“Madolyn, hi. My name is-”

An explosion rocked the cabin as the doors in the rear blew open with a wild squeal and cracking of metal and ceramic, with a shower of blue and purple arcane sparks. The Corprobots began to force their way through the exploded doors, kicking and twisting burning out of their way.

“JACK GATHOWAY YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND NON COMPLIANT.” came a loud tinny voice followed by a short burst of gunfire.

Jack yelped and ducked behind the egg as bullets ricocheted around the cabin, struggling to flatten herself against the convex surface.

“Now please Madolyn!” She yelled

“Just feel free to call me Maddie!” she said cheerfully, righting herself in the tank and pulling her headphones back up around her ears. She began to wave her hands fluidly though the fluid, and the ship responded instantly. Jack felt herself pressed firmly into the smooth hard surface of the egg as gravity shifted in response to the acceleration. An echoing crash and the sounds of cursing revealed a corprobot had fallen off of it's feet and tangled the legs of the others.

Jack looked frantically in front of her, the aetheric glow of the gate was huge and all encompassing, trying to stay stuck behind the egg as Maddie swung the starliner in and out of traffic, avoiding the ships trundling there as she continued to accelerate towards the gate.

“Stay where you are!” came a corprobot voice, and then more gunfire, Jack hissed as a ricochet skimmed past her forearm, slicing the skin like a red hot razor. The bots were spreading out, making the precarious cover she had found increasingly tenuous. Between the shouting and gunfire she could hear Maddie cheerfully speaking to someone,

“Thats right Raxxus Control we have been spacejacked, and the culprits are accelerating us directly into the Gate!” A pause, “Nope, it does not seem like re-establishing control of the vessel will be possible.” She gave Jack a thumbs up, and Jack returned the gesture with a weak smile.

A Metallic hand grabbed Jack by the ankle and ripped her out of her hiding spot and she yelled, swinging and kicking, slamming her knife repeatedly into the torso of the corprobot holding her, the aetherium infused titanium sinking into the thick ceramic armor over and over until the bot fell in a shower of purple sparks. More gunfire from the bots- TING! A bullet lodged itself in her metal leg, she almost could have laughed until another one took her in the shoulder and she spun over the controls landing with a bone rattling THUNK on the other side of the defunct console. Maddie was still speaking,

“That's right, we are a passenger vessel, so firing on us is out of the question unfortunately. Eject them? I don't have the authority to do that sir, Im so sorry. Listen we’re about to hit the Gate, it's been lovely to talk to you- what was that? Collision?”

Jack’s eyes widened as she turned to look out the front viewport to see the prow of Starsailer emerge from the gate, followed by its masts and sails, a huge galleon from the ancient days of spacefaring, it's Draconic figurehead looking as surprised to see the Starliner as they were to see it. Maddie hewed the ship hard to port, but it was too late. Jack felt it shudder beneath her before the impact came and she was thrown across the room. She slammed hard into the ceiling, navigation egg, floor, egg again. As the starliner bounced off of the hapless Starsailer’s shields and directly into Raxxus Station itself, metal and glass and ceramic buckled as the momentum of the ship ground it further and further into the Gates’s superstructure. Jack felt the shuddering reverberations of arcane explosions before she saw them, massive roiling purple flames being ejected out of the gate with increasing intensity as the starliner crashed into it before the momentum of the spinning structure caught them and flipped the disintegrating ship entirely and the purple aetheric glow overtook all.