Closed-loop decision making. Automated systems are being developed
that can act on information gleaned from big data analyses. Such closed-loop
systems (so-called because they work without additional outside input) are
useful in fast-moving markets where they can exploit subtle shifts in demand
or pricing.
The City of Los Angeles recently synchronized 4,500 traffic signals in a 469
square mile area to ease traffic flow. A centralized computer system combines
real-time feeds from magnetic sensors at intersections and hundreds of
cameras with historical data to make second-by-second decisions. It has been
able to increase average speed in the city by 16 percent.
Similar time savings are expected from autonomous vehicles, which can
be programmed to maximize traffic flow. Google’s self-driving car is able to
collect and integrate input from multiple sources such as location sensors
and camera feedback in real time with geospatial data to make decisions on
distance, speed, and direction without human intervention.