Mobile Century: Using Cell Phones as Mobile Traffic Sensors

On February 8, 2008, Alexandre Bayen, Associate Professor of Systems Engineering at UC Berkeley, along with researchers from CCIT and Nokia conducted a proof-of-concept field test using GPS-enabled cell phones to test a technology that may soon transform the quality and quantity of traffic-information data. In the unprecedented Caltrans-funded experiment, 100 Berkeley students drove a 10-mile loop along 1-80 with mobile phones tracking their movement. The data created a highly accurate picture of traffic activity on the route.