Everyone hates joining a long queue, so it was refreshing to read a recent article about the efforts of two HKU masters students. The pair have received funding to develop “real-time human traffic flow technology” in order to try to reduce queues on the campus (if successful the application elsewhere could be enormous). The basic premise is that if people can see where it is crowded in real time they will avoid those places and spread out the traffic flow.
To me the biggest problem with their solution is simply that people “already” know that places like the cafeteria is busy at lunch time. Therefore having a software program that confirms this may not help much.
Still I would congratulate these two students on their efforts to try and reduce a problem that affects us all.
Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.