Intelligent Road Intersections: A Case for Digital Twins

Smart cities are based on complex systems that use legacy infrastructure and modern and intelligent solutions to achieve a highly efficient functioning of society in several verticals. In the context of road intersections, the main objective is to offer safe, efficient, and reliable mobility services for all agents involved in the physical space (infrastructure, vehicles, and pedestrians). The digital twin paradigm has recently been considered by both academia and industry as a means for reaching intelligent transportation solutions. The article makes a case for digital twins in intelligent intersection modeling as it is expected to consolidate real-time monitoring, control, and management of intelligent intersections. The design of a framework and the development of a testbed are presented in this paper. New functionalities for the safe operation of the road intersection are the expected results of this proposal.