An Innovative Solution to avoid long times at Road Crossings-WASS(WALK ACROSS SIGNALS SAFELY)- Making Pedestrian King of Cross Roads
Hello everyone! Recently i was exploring IOT options based on Python in my job search , so in this blogI’m going to show you a simple IoT-based Traffic Light System created using a Raspberry Pi 5. This project demonstrates how a physical button and LEDs can simulate a pedestrian crossing signal, and how the same system can be extended into an IoT device.”
(Listen To the video for visuals and entrepreneurial idea development from the project)(I would be thankful if I can be considered for Entrl level Python development projects)
📦 SECTION 1 — Components Used (Show the parts)
“The components used in this project are:
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Raspberry Pi 5
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A breadboard
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One Green LED
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One Red LED
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A 3-pin Button Module
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220-ohm resistors
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Jumper wires”
🔌 SECTION 2 — Circuit Explanation (Show close-up of breadboard)
“Here is the circuit setup.
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The Green LED is connected to physical pin 15 on the Raspberry Pi.
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The Red LED is connected to physical pin 13.
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The Button Module has three pins—VCC, GND, and Signal.
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VCC is connected to 3.3V at physical pin 1.
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GND is connected to physical pin 14.
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The Signal pin is connected to physical pin 11.
This allows the Raspberry Pi to detect button press events.”
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💻 SECTION 3 — Python Program (screen recording or showing laptop)
“The logic for this system is written in Python using the RPi.GPIO library.
When the button is pressed, the green light turns off and the red light turns on. When the button is released, the system switches back to green.”
🚦 SECTION 4 — Demo (Most Important Part)
“Now let’s see it in action.
As soon as I press the button, the green LED turns off and the red LED comes on—simulating a pedestrian crossing signal.
When I release the button, the red light goes off, and the green LED turns back on.
This replicates how smart pedestrian signals work in real life.”
“I also created a simple IoT interface using a Flask web server. From any phone or laptop connected to the same network, I can control the traffic lights wirelessly.”
Tap the buttons → LEDs respond.
🧠 SECTION 5 — Real-Life Use Case
“This project can be extended into a full-fledged IoT traffic management system.
Using sensors, cloud connectivity, and automation, the same logic can control real traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, and emergency signals.”
“Thank you for watching! This is a simple and fun IoT project that demonstrates how hardware, software, and networks come together. If you’d like the code or a step-by-step guide, feel free to ask!”
PART B - REAL LIFE IoT Pedestrian Crossing System
Brand Name: WASS – Walk Across Signals Safely
🟢 INTRO
“Welcome to WASS – Walk Across Signals Safely, an innovative IoT-based solution for better pedestrian safety system. It can be designed to make every zebra crossing smarter, safer, and more accessible.
In today’s fast-moving traffic environment, pedestrians often struggle to find safe moments to cross the road. WASS changes that.”
🟡 WHAT IS WASS?
“WASS is a mobile-app–based IoT solution that connects with pedestrian crossing equipment installed across an area — such as LEDs, buzzers, and traffic lights.
Using the WASS app, a pedestrian standing at any supported zebra crossing can request a safe crossing interval with just a single tap.”
🔵 HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
“At the heart of the system is a Raspberry Pi mounted at each crossing point.
It controls two LEDs — green and red — and communicates with a button module or an IoT web server. In a basic setup, pressing the button switches the signal from green to red, allowing pedestrians to cross safely.
In the IoT version, this button press can be triggered remotely from the WASS mobile app. The app sends a command over WiFi or the internet, the Raspberry Pi receives the signal, and the crossing light changes accordingly.”
🔴 REAL-TIME SIGNAL CHANGE
“When the pedestrian presses the ‘Cross Now’ button in the WASS app:
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The green light for vehicles immediately turns off
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The red light turns on
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And optionally, a buzzer activates to alert approaching vehicles
A timer begins, giving the pedestrian a safe window to cross.
Once the timer finishes, the WASS system automatically restores normal traffic flow.”
🟢 EXPANSION ACROSS A CITY
“One of the strengths of WASS is scalability.
This system is not limited to a single crossing.
Multiple Raspberry Pi units installed across different zebra crossings can all be tied to a central WASS cloud dashboard.
This allows pedestrians, especially elderly individuals, children, and persons with disabilities, to safely activate crossing signals anywhere within the connected zone.”
🟣 FEATURES OF THE WASS MOBILE APP
“The mobile app is designed for simplicity and safety:
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One-tap ‘Request to Cross’ button
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Real-time confirmation of signal change
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Countdown timer showing safe crossing time
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Location-based detection of nearest zebra crossing
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Emergency override for school zones and hospitals
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Audio assistance for visually impaired users
WASS can also integrate with city traffic infrastructure for automatic nighttime dimming, emergency response routing, or adaptive traffic flow control.”
🟠 SOCIAL IMPACT
“WASS has the potential to significantly reduce pedestrian accidents, improve urban walkability, and support smart city development initiatives.
By empowering pedestrians with direct control — and by digitizing traditional zebra crossings — WASS ensures that safety is not just a priority, but a guarantee.”
🟤 WHY THE BRAND NAME?
“The name WASS — Walk Across Signals Safely — captures the spirit of the project:
A reliable, simple, and smart safety companion that supports pedestrians and makes city walking safer.”
⚪ CONCLUSION
“WASS is more than just an IoT project — it’s a vision for a safer, smarter, and more inclusive urban environment.
From a simple Raspberry Pi setup to a fully integrated city-scale IoT pedestrian network, WASS brings technology and safety together, one crossing at a time.”
PARTC
🚶 PARTC Making the Pedestrian King: How IoT and Mobile Apps are Revolutionizing Urban Crossings
👑 A New Era of Priority at the Crossroads
For decades, the standard traffic light system has prioritized vehicular movement, forcing pedestrians to wait—often for several minutes—regardless of traffic volume. However, the rise of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology is ushering in a paradigm shift. Today's smart cities are moving toward a philosophy that values pedestrian safety and time, effectively using mobile apps and connected infrastructure to give the person on foot a "kingly" level of priority.
This new reality isn't about granting every person the power to instantly flip a red light (which is unsafe and impractical); rather, it is about creating a dynamic, data-driven environment where the pedestrian's presence is recognized and prioritized by a central, intelligent system.
📱 The Mobile App: From Simple Button to Intelligent Request
The mobile application's role in this new system is far more advanced than a simple remote control. It acts as an intelligent communication channel to the city's traffic management center, enabling several critical functions:
Remote Push-Button Activation: The most basic function allows a user to digitally signal their presence to the intersection, eliminating the need to physically touch a button.
Vulnerable User Prioritization: Systems in nations like the Netherlands (e.g., in trials like the Crosswalk app) allow elderly, visually impaired, or mobility-challenged users to register. The app transmits this profile to the traffic light, which automatically triggers extended "Walk" phase timing to ensure a safe crossing.
Presence Confirmation: The app confirms a human is actually waiting, reducing the occurrence of "ghost calls" common with traditional push-buttons and improving overall traffic flow efficiency.
🧠 IoT and AI: The Protocols for Pedestrian Sovereignty
The true power of this shift lies in the Adaptive Traffic Signal Control (ATSC) systems that leverage vast amounts of IoT data:
Real-Time Pedestrian Demand: Intersections are equipped with IoT sensors, such as LiDAR, radar, and AI-powered computer vision cameras, that continuously monitor the crosswalk. These sensors do more than just detect presence—they can assess the number of people waiting and their rate of approach.
Dynamic Signal Phasing: The core operational protocol is to minimize pedestrian wait time without creating vehicular chaos.
Immediate Service: If a pedestrian is detected (either by sensor or app request) and there are no vehicles on the cross-street, the ATSC algorithm can immediately transition the light to the walk phase, bypassing unnecessary delays of fixed cycles.
Green Time Truncation: In heavy traffic, the system can shorten the green light for vehicles to quickly provide a turn for pedestrians, treating their time as a high-value commodity.
🌐 Global Leaders in Pedestrian Priority
The development and deployment of these systems are most prominent in regions committed to Vision Zero initiatives, where the goal is zero traffic fatalities.
Europe (Netherlands, Nordic Countries): These regions often lead in dynamic traffic management, using technology to aggressively prioritize vulnerable road users and active travel (walking, cycling). Traffic lights are routinely programmed to skip a vehicle phase if no demand is detected.
Asia (Singapore): Singapore's Smart Nation Initiative has successfully implemented systems like the Green Man Plus, which uses a specialized card (similar to an IoT device) to provide extended crossing times for the elderly and disabled.
North America (Pittsburgh, LA): Major cities are adopting adaptive signal control systems that use machine learning to optimize signal timing, integrating pedestrian input as a key variable in maximizing throughput and safety for all road users.
🚧 Challenges and the Path Forward
While the technology is powerful, challenges remain:
Security and Abuse: Protecting the central traffic network from malicious hacking or simple misuse of personal apps is paramount.
Cost and Implementation: Retrofitting existing, decades-old traffic infrastructure with high-tech IoT sensors and central processing units requires significant investment.
Data Privacy: Managing the location data and personal profiles (for priority users) collected by mobile apps requires robust privacy protocols.
The integration of mobile IoT apps and AI-driven ATSC is transforming the city intersection from a fixed-time obstacle course into a responsive, equitable space. By replacing rigid timers with intelligent demand-based protocols, smart cities are truly beginning to make the pedestrian the king of the crossroads
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