| Roads charge EVs wirelessly as they drive. Crosswalks can sense pedestrians and signal cars in real time. Now the infrastructure itself has become part of the intelligence behind how we move around in daily life. A System That Senses and Responds Smart infrastructure works because of embedded systems making fast, local decisions. Edge processors at intersections use cameras and radar to adjust traffic signals on the fly. MCUs and SOMs manage EV charging pads, detect potholes, and monitor bridge strain. V2X (vehicle-to-everything) modules keep cars in sync with traffic signals and crosswalks. These systems need to be rugged, power-efficient, secure, and easy to update. Rebooting a stoplight in the middle of rush hour? Not ideal.
And it’s not just about function, it’s about resilience. These systems need to run for years in heat, cold, rain, and in tough environments. They need to update safely, communicate securely, and fail gracefully. No one notices when it works. And that’s kind of the point.
Where It Gets Interesting As embedded engineers, this space asks a lot of good questions:
- How do we manage power budgets for solar-powered sensors in unpredictable environments?
- How do you build a low-power sensor that survives a Canadian winter?
- What does it mean to debug a network of roadside devices… that you can’t physically reach?
- How do you secure data from roadside units against spoofing or jamming?
It’s a new kind of design challenge. Less about gadgets, more about ecosystems. This isn’t about flashy tech or hype. It’s about solving real problems in ways most people will never notice, but always benefit from.
But it’s happening, and we're the lucky ones who get to be part of it. Not just designing smart transportation infrastructure, but embedding trust into the world around us.
And that’s the kind of progress worth working on.
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