Lane-changing robots reduce traffic congestion in China.

A team of robots is being used to regulate lanes and direct traffic on a notoriously congested road in Shenzhen, China.

Traffic police in Shenzhen have deployed a team of robots to change lanes along Shennan, a major east-west road in the city, in an effort to reduce rush hour congestion by controlling the reversing lanes, RT reported yesterday.

The lane-changing robot is a movable barrier that redirects traffic into different lanes. Shennan Road is typically congested in the mornings, with the number of cars traveling from west to east almost double the number traveling in the opposite direction.

Police have found that congestion would ease if more lanes were opened for westbound traffic in the mornings. "The traffic control team implemented this method last December, and congestion decreased significantly," Wang Le, head of the city's traffic police department, told the South China Morning Post.

Thanks to this system, traffic police don't have to be present for extended periods during morning and afternoon rush hours. The technology has had a significant impact, helping the morning rush hour end an hour earlier than usual.

Traffic automation in China isn't limited to cars. In Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, authorities have installed automatic gates, similar to turnstiles at subway stations, at pedestrian crossings to deter reckless driving. These gates are directly connected to the traffic light system, opening and closing according to the displayed light color.

According to VNE