UWM PhD student Joel Roberts is the founder of Shepherd Traffic, a company that uses computer vision, geometry and smart algorithms to capture more detailed and accurate traffic data than what’s currently available. (UWM Photo/Laura Otto)Joel Roberts really hates sitting at red lights – especially the ones that hold you hostage while not a single car passes in the cross-direction.“Sitting in traffic bothers me,” said Roberts, a PhD student in civil engineering at UWM. “So, getting drivers through intersections efficiently is interesting to math guys like myself because it’s basically an optimization problem.”Now, that everyday frustration has fueled something bigger: an award-winning startup.Roberts is the founder of Shepherd Traffic, a company that uses computer vision, geometry and smart algorithms to capture more detailed and accurate traffic data than what’s currently available. The idea is to let the computer do the watching – and the counting.When traffic management professionals need to time a light or redesign roads, the initial data they need are object counts and classifications, which you can take from videos.His pitch for the company beat out top student innovators from across Wisconsin to win the $2,500 grand prize at the WiSys Big Idea Pitch Competition.Smarter intersections, less waitingTraffic lights usually run...
