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Zoomed in slightly, U of M's software traffic monitoring system shows a lot of detail via overlays. The system will be helping officials monitor and control traffic on inauguration day.  (Source: University of Maryland)

Zoomed out, the sytem will provide officials with an easy to navigate map of Washington D.C., with easy access to hot spots.  (Source: University of Maryland)
Barack Obama's inauguration will run smoother thanks to a high tech traffic display

Inauguration Day has typically drawn large crowds and been a nightmare for city officials, police officers, and secret service agents.  With President-elect Barack Obama, these concerns have reached unheard of levels.  Thousands of people are headed to the capital, to try to catch a glimpse of the new president.

In order to try to control the crowds officials will be using a cutting edge software display of the city's traffic developed by the University of Maryland.  The display, named The Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS), will stream information in real time.  Describes Michael L. Pack, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT), part of the Clark School of Engineering, At this point, our team is working almost around the clock to incorporate as much data and functionality as possible."

The information is presented in both 2D and 3D fully zoomable formats, similar to Google Earth with a broad array of overlays applied.  It will monitor vehicles, planes, incident reports (traffic accidents, etc.), traffic light problems, areas of slow traffic, weather conditions, and more.

Describes Professor Pack, "We're trying to visualize the real-time status of our transportation system - showing the real world and providing situational awareness to decision makers - all on a single screen.  We're enabling these many disparate systems to communicate with each other."

While this information was previously available, says Professor Pack, it was spread out over different systems.  The new traffic monitoring program polls many different systems to provided a single unified, easy-to-navigate view, a first.

A demonstration of the technology is viewable here (MPEG4) online.

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The rest of us
By FITCamaro on 1/17/2009 12:13:55 PM , Rating: 3
Will be at work.




RE: The rest of us
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 1/17/2009 12:35:57 PM , Rating: 2
There's nothing wrong with that. Some people, however, have a thing called vacation days and wouldn't mind seeing a part of history in person.

I'll probably watch either via TV or live streaming coverage online.


RE: The rest of us
By nah on 1/17/2009 12:51:25 PM , Rating: 3
As will us all--whether anyone likes it or not--it is history in the making


RE: The rest of us
By creathir on 1/17/09, Rating: 0
RE: The rest of us
By oab on 1/17/2009 9:39:24 PM , Rating: 4
It is historic because the US went from forced racial segregation to "you're the next president" in just over 40 years.

It is entirely about race. A young black man beat an old white guy in the presidential election. It is the first time it happened, that is why it matters.

Race doesn't matter, except when it does. It is historic because he is black. That is why it is historic. The previous presidents inauguration was historic, because the supreme court decided that, the one before that was historic because a once highly popular president lost after one term to a democrat and a self-financed independent. JFK was historic because he was the first Catholic to be president. Washington was historic because he was the first president.

How historic it is is something that people want to be part of. It ends up being "a democrat beat a republican", and that is ultimately what peopled voted on. The media has overplayed it of course (as they do everything), but that is why it is a historic election.

It is pretty obvious however that you did not want Obama to win. So, there is nothing for you to get excited about except his race, or lack of it. Stephen Colbert does not see racial colour, why should you?

Note: I am not American.


RE: The rest of us
By Tedtalker1 on 1/18/2009 12:53:50 AM , Rating: 2
The last time I checked Obama was 50/50(mother is white,Father is black). So therefore he is not really black.

He's just another white president with a good suntan.


RE: The rest of us
By oab on 1/18/2009 1:38:43 AM , Rating: 3
Barack Obama isn't black? Right. Fake black. An "oreo", chocolate covered marshmallow. "Not black enough to be really black because white folk like him".

Barack Obama is black man. His mother was white, his father was black. His skin is not white. He is a visible minority, and the definition of African-American.

He identifies himself as being a black male.

Father was black + Skin is black + Calls himself black = He is black.

Did I really just write that? This is really sad. I am so completely http://xkcd.com/386/ 'ing


RE: The rest of us
By Noya on 1/18/09, Rating: -1
RE: The rest of us
By Noya on 1/18/09, Rating: -1
RE: The rest of us
By mindless1 on 1/20/2009 1:05:50 AM , Rating: 2
Shouldn't that be "kick the author of the wiki article in the nuts", or maybe even "I will edit the article to reflect what I feel is more accurate"?

Just a thought...


RE: The rest of us
By Samus on 1/18/2009 11:07:11 AM , Rating: 2
TedTalker must be from the old South. Some people still don't understand if you're even 1% black, you're black.


RE: The rest of us
By Omega215D on 1/18/2009 9:06:12 PM , Rating: 2
If we are truly away from segregation then instead of saying a person is black just because they're 1% black and look at different ethnicities as people. Lastly race and ethnicity are different, really sad how people remain ignorant.

Honestly, if we can procreate with each other then we are all in one race.


RE: The rest of us
By Impackt on 1/17/2009 9:46:11 PM , Rating: 2
I'm guessing that Creathir is either a very bitter person, or simply racist. Maybe a little bit of both.


RE: The rest of us
By creathir on 1/18/2009 1:22:51 AM , Rating: 3
I am actually quite a happy person,
and racist, hardly.

You claim I am racist, for questioning everyone who is pointing out Obama's skin color?

I am color blind, as stated before. I do not understand why a big deal is being made about his skin color period. Why does it matter?

In what was does someone's color affect them or how people view them? Everyone claims it does, but I do not personally know ANYONE who makes judgement calls based upons someone's color.

- Creathir


RE: The rest of us
By Reclaimer77 on 1/18/2009 10:25:10 AM , Rating: 2
It's a big deal because there are LOTS of idiots living here who did not believe this was truly the land of opportunity. It's as if we had to elect an African American to validate the equal opportunity the rest of the country has been enjoying for decades.

If questioning the extremely race based coverage of Obama makes YOU a racist, creathir, than I guess I'm one too.


RE: The rest of us
By callmeroy on 1/19/2009 8:43:05 AM , Rating: 1
You are thinking about it too literally. Its not solely because the man has dark skin its the symbolism that it represents for the nation's history as a whole - that is what people are talking about when saying its historic. It not just about a black man for himself being sworn into office, its about what it represents.

Now on personal values I agree with you - but sadly I am prejudice --- I hate assholes....but I'm equal opportunity prejudice --- I don't care what someone's skin color is if they are an asshole, I hate them. :)

The way the world should be -- view folks on what they do and say not how they look.


RE: The rest of us
By Spivonious on 1/19/2009 9:45:01 AM , Rating: 2
I totally agree with you Creathir. As long as we keep focusing on diversity and pointing out the differences between us, racism and other discrimination will continue.

No one my age gives a hoot what color Obama's skin is. *BUT* you do have to admit that a non-white male being elected President is a symbol of how far our country has come in the last 200 years. A symbol that the majority doesn't care about race anymore.


RE: The rest of us
By derwin on 1/18/2009 3:09:21 AM , Rating: 2
Whether you like it or not, or think we should even bother, he still is the first black president our country will see. That is historic. Period.


RE: The rest of us
By Torched on 1/19/2009 8:05:35 AM , Rating: 2
There is a problem with everyone's reasoning that being the first black president is historic. That problem is if Barack turns out to be a horrible president, people will place the blame on his race.

Hope is addictive, and the users will keep returning to the dealer to get the fix. Only problem is users of hope build up a tolerance and need larger doses until there is nothing more you can promise them. Then hope will turn to distrust and bitterness.

We better trust that Obama can deliver on his promises or he might ruin another black man's chances for this entire generation of voters. It's either that or we start taking the man on his record and policies and become truly color blind like the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.


RE: The rest of us
By Reclaimer77 on 1/17/09, Rating: 0
RE: The rest of us
By ekv on 1/18/2009 2:50:42 AM , Rating: 2
Dude, don't even think stuff like that. Besides, it would only create a martyr.

Recall that Herbert Hoover was the last president to raise taxes in a recession. [Truth is stranger than fiction].

I will say this though, I wish I went to CalTech because I could dig up plenty of help to pull off the most awesome hack / RF in history ... taking over UofM computers. I can see it now, "CalTech" overlays on everything. It'd be hellaciously exhilarating.


RE: The rest of us
By Samus on 1/18/2009 11:10:09 AM , Rating: 2
Reclaimer, I dare you to openly talk like that after he becomes president...because $30 billion of his economic stimpack is spent on internal affairs/homeland security just to hunt down unpatriotic flag burners like you and charge them with treason.

Good luck!


RE: The rest of us
By Tacoloft on 1/18/2009 10:14:22 PM , Rating: 2
Hilarious post-- I had to laugh at this. I know it is all in jest and would hate for Obama to become a martyr because then we would have to hear about it until the end of time which would make me want to blow my own brains out.
Plus any assassination attempt would make Biden the President...BIDEN - ugh- thinking about it make me want to hurl...
Yeah I too got the tivo all set up as well. Let Socialis…I mean Freedom ring!


Simcity
By ultimaone on 1/17/2009 6:48:32 PM , Rating: 2
Looks like EA went big.

Sim City 5 !




By crystal clear on 1/18/2009 1:11:46 AM , Rating: 2
Silverlight to follow Obama into US presidency

Barack Obama's inauguration as US president next week will be broadcast online using Microsoft's Silverlight browser-based media player.

Microsoft said Friday that Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee had selected Silverlight to stream live coverage of his swearing-in from its site, scheduled for Tuesday in Washington DC.

It's the second Obama outing for Silverlight. Obama's speech accepting his party's nomination as candidate for US president was streamed via Silverlight from the Democratic National Convention last August.

And this is the third high-profile win for Silverlight, which last year streamed online coverage of the Olympics for US broadcasting giant NBC.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/17/obama_silv...




UMD
By derwin on 1/18/2009 3:10:33 AM , Rating: 2
May I shout out to the University of Maryland, my alma matter! They have been doing great things, and I am over joyed to see them on Daily Tech.




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