An image of the traffic imitation service. The colored boxes represent cars. Click image for complete version. Courtesy of Jiang ChangJun.

What is the fastest way to drive from here to there? Will you find parking upon arrival?

The Traffic Information Grid is a project aiming to provide more accurate travel predictions via grid technology. The project, centered at Tongji University in Shanghai, China, acquires data from cameras and GPS devices on taxis and buses.

TIG seeks to weave real-time and historical traffic data into services accessible on a Web site, PDA or mobile phone. Some of these services include real-time route calculation, long-term forecast of future traffic conditions of a given route, optimization of travel plans—given current and predicted conditions—and dynamic information of available parking.

To learn more about the Traffic Information Grid click here.