Irobhothi lomgwaqo (traffic light) ngesinye sezinto ezaziwa kakhulu emhlabeni wonke empilweni yasemadolobheni yanamuhla, elawula ukugeleza kwezimoto nezinyawo ezigidini nsuku zonke. Ngaphandle kwalezi zimpawu, izimpambano zemigwaqo zingangena ekuxabaneni, okwenza uhambo lube yingozi futhi lungasebenzi kahle kubo bonke abathintekayo. Ukuziphendukela kwelobhothi lomgwaqo kuyindaba ethakazelisayo ehlanganisa iminyaka engaphezu kuka-150, ebonisa izinguquko ezinkulu zobuchwepheshe nezenhlalo. Kusukela kuzimpawu ezazikhanyiswa ngegesi eLondon yaseVictorian kuya ezinhlelweni ezihlakaniphile eziqhutshwa yi-AI emadolobheni amakhulu anamuhla, isizukulwane ngasinye selobhothi lomgwaqo sibhekane nezinselelo zokuthutha zesikhathi saso. Ukuqonda lo mlando akusizi nje kuphela ukuthi siyazazisa ubunjiniyela obungemuva kokulawulwa kwethrafikhi yanamuhla, kodwa futhi kusinikeza ukuqonda mayelana nokuthi ubuchwepheshe buya kuphi ngokulandelayo. Lesi sihloko silandelela uhambo oluphelele lwelobhothi lomgwaqo, sigqamisa izinto ezintsha ezibalulekile ezilolonge indlela esihamba ngayo.

Irobhothi lokuqala kwezokuthutha lafakwa eLondon ngo-1868, kudala ngaphambi kokuba imoto ibe yinto evamile emigwaqweni yamadolobha. Leli thuluzi eliyiqhinga lalakhelwe ukuphatha ukuminyana okukhulayo kwezinqola ezidonswa amahhashi kanye nenani elikhulu labahamba ngezinyawo eduze kweHouses of Parliament. Umsunguli, u-J.P. Knight, wayengunjiniyela wezimpawu zikaloliwe owasebenzisa ulwazi lwakhe lwezinhlelo ze-semaphore ekuphathweni kwethrafikhi yomgwaqo. Isibonakaliso sasinezinsimbi ezinyakazayo ze-semaphore ezaziphakanyiswa ukukhombisa "ma" futhi zehliswe "hamba," namalambu egesi enikeza ukukhanya ebusuku. Lawa malambu okuqala aseBrithani ethrafikhi ayedinga ukuthi iphoyisa lisebenzise umshini ngesandla lisuka endaweni encane ehlanganweni yemigwaqo, okwenza inqubo idinge umsebenzi omningi kodwa isebenze kahle ngesikhathi sayo. Ngeshwa, ilambu legesi laqhuma emva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa nje lisetshenziswa, lalimaza osebenzayo futhi lacindezela idolobha ukuba liyeke ukuhlolwa. Naphezu kwalokhu kwehluleka okumangalisayo, isibonakaliso saseLondon sango-1868 sihlala siyimpumelelo ebalulekile, ngoba sasungula umqondo oyisisekelo wedivayisi yokulawula ithrafikhi ehlanganweni yemigwaqo ematasa. Noma ubani ofunda umdwebo womlando wamarobhothi ethrafikhi kulesi sikhathi angabona ithonya elinamandla lomklamo we-semaphore kaloliwe ezimpawini zokuqala zomgwaqo.

Ukuvela kwangempela kwezibani zomgwaqo zanamuhla kwenzeka eCleveland, e-Ohio, ngo-1914, lapho uJames Hoge efaka uphawu lokuqala lukagesi lwezimoto empambanweni ye-Euclid Avenue ne-East 105th Street. Ngaleso sikhathi, izimoto zase zanda ngokushesha, futhi izindlela ezindala zokulawula umgwaqo—amaphoyisa avunguza amafulegi noma emi phakathi nendawo yempambanwewe—zase zingasakwazi ukuhambisana nesimo. Idizayini kaHoge yayisebenzisa izibani ezibomvu neziluhlaza zikagesi ezazikhanya kakhulu futhi zithembekile kunezinto ezazisebenzisa igesi, futhi lolu hlelo lwaqeda ubungozi bokuqhuma obabuhlupha umklamo waseLondon. Iphoyisa lalisalisebenzisa ngesandla isibani lisendaweni eseduze, kodwa idizayini kagesi yayinikeza isignali engaguquki futhi ebonakala kahle ukuthi abashayeli bayibone kalula. Impumelelo yokufakwa eCleveland yavusa intshisekelo ngokushesha kwamanye amadolobha aseMelika, futhi izibani zikagesi zomgwaqo zasheshe zavela eNew York, eDetroit, ePhiladelphia, nakwezinye izindawo. Indlela yokuma kwesibani esibomvu—okubomvu kusho yima, okuluhlaza kusho hamba—yaqiniswa kulezi zinhlelo zakuqala zikagesi, kwakhiwa ulimi olufanayo olubonakalayo lokuphepha emgwaqweni. Umfanekiso wokuqala welungelo lobunikazi wezibani zomgwaqo osuka ekufakweni kukaHoge ngo-1914 uveza ukwakheka okusesimanjemanje ngempela, nezibani ezimbili ezibekwe ngokuqondile esigxotsheni esilula, umklamo owawuzothonya izibani zomgwaqo emashumini eminyaka ezayo.

Ukuqhubekela phambili okukhulu okulandelayo kwafika ngeminyaka yawo-1920 ngokusungulwa kwerobhothi elizenzakalelayo, okwaqeda isidingo sokusebenza komuntu kuzo zonke izimpambanomgwaqo. Izibonakaliso zakuqala ezizenzakalelayo zazisebenzisa isilinganisi sesikhathi somshini ukujikeleza ezigabeni ezibomvu nokuluhlaza ngezikhathi ezimisiwe, okuvumela izimpambanomgwaqo ukuthi zisebenze ngaphandle kokugadwa okuqondile. Ukwethulwa kokukhanya okuphuzi noma okusawolintshi ngaleso sikhathi kwanikeza abashayeli isikhathi esibalulekile sokuqaphela ngaphambi kokuba isibonakaliso sishintshe, okwehlisa kakhulu inani lezingozi zokushayisana ngemuva nokungqubuzana ezimpambanomgwaqweni. Lolu hlelo lwemibala emithathu lwasheshe lwaba yizinga lomhlaba wonke futhi lusasetshenziswa nanamuhla ngenxa yokucaca kwalo okunembile nezinzuzo zokuphepha ezifakazelwe. Onjiniyela bezokuthutha baphinde baqala ukuhlola ukuhlelwa kwesikhathi okuhambisanayo emigwaqweni ematasa, bedala "amagagasi aluhlaza" okuqala avumela izimoto ukuthi zihambe zidlule ezimpambanomgwaqweni eziningi ngaphandle kokuma. Ngawo-1950, onjiniyela bezokuthutha base bekwazile ukuthuthukisa izinhlelo ezisebenzisa izinzwa ezazikwazi ukubona ubukhona bezimoto futhi ziphendule ngokuguquguqukayo ezimweni zangempela zomgwaqo. Izihibe zokungenisa ugesi ezazifakwe ebusweni bomgwaqo zazivumela irobhothi ukuthi linwebe isikhathi sokukhanya okuluhlaza lapho izimoto ziningi noma likweqe ngokuphelele lapho kungekho zimoto ezilindile, okwenza ukusebenza kube ngcono kakhulu. Lolu shintsho kusuka ekulawulweni kwesikhathi esimisiwe kuya ekulawulweni okuguquguqukayo lumele ukuthuthuka okukhulu, kwehlisa ukubambezeleka okungadingekile nokusetshenziswa kukaphethiloli ezigidini zabashayeli. Indlela esekelwe ezinzweni iphinde yavula indlela yezinhlelo zokulawula izimoto ezihlakaniphile ngokuphelele izwe elincike kuzo namuhla.

Ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe be-LED (i-light-emitting diode) ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yawo-1990 nasekuqaleni kwawo-2000 kwaguqula imboni yamarobhothi omgwaqo ngokubhekana nobuthakathaka obukhulu obubili bamasignali endabuko e-incandescent: ukusetshenziswa kwamandla okuphezulu nokuphila isikhathi esifushane. Izibani ze-incandescent ezazisetshenziswa kumarobhothi amadala zazivame ukusebenzisa amawathi angu-100 kuya kwangu-150 ngesibani ngasinye futhi zazidinga ukushintshwa njalo ngezinyanga eziyisithupha kuya kweziyishumi nambili, okudala umthwalo omkhulu wokusebenza komasipala. Amamojula e-LED, ngokuphambene, ayesebenzisa amawathi angu-10 kuphela kuya kwangu-15 ngesibani ngasinye futhi ayekwazi ukuphila isikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora angu-100,000—okulingana neminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi nanye yokusebenza okuqhubekayo. Lokhu kuncipha okukhulu kokusetshenziswa kwamandla kwahumushela ekongeni kwezindleko okukhulu, futhi amadolobha amaningi abuyisela imali yawo yokuqala yokutshala kwe-LED phakathi neminyaka emibili kuya kwemithathu. Ukusebenza kokubonakala kwamarobhothi e-LED nakho kwabonakala kungcono, kunikeza imibala ekhanyayo nephuphileyo ehlala ibonakala kahle ngisho nalapho ilanga likhanya ngqo, kunciphisa ubungozi bokuthi abashayeli baphuthelwe isignali. Irobhothi lesimanje le-LED likhiqiza ukukhanya okucacile nokufanayo okuthuthukisa isikhathi sokusabela futhi kuthuthukise ukuphepha kubo bonke abasebenzisi bomgwaqo, kuhlanganise nabagibeli bamabhayisikili nabahamba ngezinyawo. Ukuguqukela kubuchwepheshe be-LED akugcinanga nje ngokunciphisa izindleko zokusebenza kodwa kwaba nomthelela ekusimameni kwemvelo ngokwehlisa isidingo sikagesi nokunciphisa inani lamabhalbhu ashile athunyelwa ezindaweni zokulahla. Namuhla, amarobhothi e-LED ayizinga lomhlaba wonke, futhi amasignali amadala e-incandescent asecishe aqedwa ngokuphelele emazweni athuthukile.

Emashumini eminyaka adlule, izibani zomgwaqo ziye zaba ngobuhlakani kakhulu ngokuxhumana ne-Internet of Things (IoT), ubuhlakani bokwenziwa (AI), kanye namanethiwekhi athuthukile okuxhumana. Izibani zomgwaqo ezihlakaniphile aziseyona imishini ehlala yodwa esebenza ngezikhathi ezimisiwe; esikhundleni salokho, zakha inethiwekhi exhumene ehlanganyela idatha yesikhathi sangempela nezinhlelo ezimaphakathi zokuphatha ukugibela kanye nezinye izibani. Izinzwa ze-IoT—okuhlanganisa amakhamera, i-radar, kanye namaluphu okungenisa—ziqoqa ngokuqhubekayo idatha ngenani lezimoto, isivinini, ubude bemigqa, kanye nomsebenzi wabahamba ngezinyawo, zifaka lolu lwazi kuma-algorithms e-AI alungisa isikhathi sokukhanya ngokushesha. Amamodeli e-AI angabona ukuminyana kwethrafikhi okukhula ngesikhathi sangempela futhi alungise izigaba zokukhanya ngokuqhubekayo ukuze avimbele ukuminyana ngaphambi kokuba kwenzeke, lokhu kuyikhono elidlula kakhulu lokho izinhlelo zenzwa zendabuko ezazingakufeza. Le ndlela ehlakaniphile inciphisa isikhathi sokuhamba ngamaphesenti angu-15 kuya kwangu-30 ekusetshenzisweni okuningi, inciphisa ukukhishwa kwezimoto ngokunciphisa ukushayela okuma-ngokuqhubekayo, futhi ithuthukisa ukusebenza kwenethiwekhi iyonke ngaphandle kokudinga ukwandiswa kwemigwaqo okubizayo. Izibani zomgwaqo ezihlakaniphile zingaphinda zibeke phambili izimoto eziphuthumayo, amabhasi omphakathi, kanye nezitimela ezilula, zizinikeza izibani eziluhlaza uma zisondela ezimpambanweni zomgwaqo ukuze zithuthukise izikhathi zokusabela nokwethembeka kwezinhlelo. Ukuhlanganiswa kobuchwepheshe obuhlakaniphile kuphawula ushintsho olukhulu kusuka kuzimpawu ezingenzi lutho, ezisabelayo ukuya ekuphathweni kwethrafikhi okusebenzayo, okubikezelayo, kushintsha ngokuyisisekelo indlela amadolobha acabanga ngayo ngengqalasizinda yokuhamba. Lezi zinhlelo zimelela ubuchwepheshe obuphambili bokulawula ithrafikhi futhi zisetshenziswa emadolobheni amakhulu emhlabeni wonke njengengxenye yezinhlelo ezibanzi zamadolobha ahlakaniphile.

Njengoba ubuchwepheshe bezibani zomgwaqo buqhubeka nokuthuthuka ngesivinini esikhulu, izinkampani ezifana ne-Shandong Penghui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. sezivele njengabadlali ababalulekile emakethe yomhlaba wonke yezibani zomgwaqo. I-Shandong Penghui igxile ekuklameni, ekuthuthukiseni, nasekukhiqizeni izibani zomgwaqo ze-LED ezisebenza kahle kakhulu kanye nemishini yezokuthutha ehlakaniphile, isebenzela ohulumeni bomasipala, izinkampani zobunjiniyela bezokuthutha, nosonkontileka bengqalasizinda emhlabeni wonke. Uhlu lwemikhiqizo yenkampani luhlanganisa izixazululo eziningi, okuhlanganisa amamojula ajwayelekile ezibani zomgwaqo ze-LED, izibani zabahamba ngezinyawo, izibali zokubala eziphansi, kanye nezilawuli ezihlakaniphile zomgwaqo ezixhumene ne-IoT. Iyunithi ngayinye yakhelwe ukonga amandla, ukuphila isikhathi eside, nokusebenza okuthembekile ngaphansi kwezimo ezihlukahlukene zemvelo, kusukela ekushiseni okukhulu kuya emvuleni enkulu neqhwa. Ungabuka uhlu olugcwele lwemikhiqizo yenkampani futhi ufunde ngamandla ayo okukhiqiza ekhasini Lasekhaya. Ukuze uthole imininingwane eningiliziwe yobuchwepheshe nezinketho zokucushwa, ikhasi Lemikhiqizo linikeza ulwazi oluphelele ngemodeli ngayinye yezibani zomgwaqo. Ngokutshala izimali okuqhubekayo ocwaningweni nasekuthuthukisweni, i-Shandong Penghui ibamba iqhaza eliqondile ekushintsheni komhlaba wonke kwezinhlelo zokulawula umgwaqo ezonga amandla, ezihlakaniphile, nezingagcini nje kuphela, isiza amadolobha ukuthi athuthukise ingqalasizinda yawo kuyilapho enciphisa izindleko zokusebenza.

Ikusasa lezibani zomgwaqo lisekujuleni okukhulu ekuhlanganisweni nobuchwepheshe bezimoto ezixhumekile kanye nezinhlelo zokuphatha umgwaqo eziguquguqukayo ngokugcwele ezithuthukisa ukuhamba emazingeni edolobha. Njengoba izimoto eziningi ziba namandla okuxhumana nge-V2X (ukuxhumana kwemoto nayo yonke into), izibani zomgwaqo zizokwazi ukudlulisela idatha yesikhathi sangempela yesigaba sophawu nokubalwa kwesikhathi ngqo ezimotweni ezisondelayo, okuvumela abashayeli ukuthi balungise isivinini sabo ukuze babambe izibani eziluhlaza futhi bagweme ukuma okungadingekile. Lokhu kuxhumana kuzophinde kuvumele izibani zomgwaqo ukuthi zamukele idatha ezimotweni mayelana nesivinini sazo, isiqondiso, nomzila ezihlela ukuwuthatha, okunikeza uhlelo ulwazi oludingayo ukuze luhlele ukubalwa kwesikhathi okufanele kuyo yonke imigwaqo emikhulu. Izinkundla zokuphatha umgwaqo eziguquguqukayo zizosebenzisa i-AI ukuze zihlanganise amashumi noma ngisho namakhulu emiphambano ngesikhathi sangempela, zidale amagagasi aluhlaza aguqukayo asabela ngokushesha ezidingweni ezishintshayo, imicimbi ekhethekile, nezigameko. Amanye amadolobha asevele ehlola umqondo wezibani zomgwaqo ezingokoqobo, lapho uphawu lulethwa kumshayeli ngokusebenzisa isibonisi esingaphakathi kwemoto esikhundleni sedivayisi ebekwe esigxotsheni, okunciphisa izindleko zengqalasizinda nezidingo zokunakekela. Imiklamo egxile kubahamba ngezinyawo nayo iyathola ukuthandwa, ngezibani zomgwaqo ezihlakaniphile ezinweba isikhathi sokuwela kwabahamba kancane, zithole abahamba ngezinyawo abalindile, futhi zibeke phambili ukuhamba ngezinyawo ngezikhathi ezingaphandle kwamahora aphezulu ezimoto. Lezi zinto ezintsha zithembisa ukwenza ukulawulwa komgwaqo kuphendule kangcono, kusebenze kahle, kulingane, futhi kulungele umsebenzisi kunanini ngaphambili, kunciphisa ukuminyana nokukhishwa kwesisi esingcolisayo kuyilapho kuthuthukisa ukuphepha kubo bonke abasebenzisi bomgwaqo. Isibani somgwaqo sakusasa ngeke nje siqondise umgwaqo kodwa sizophatha ngempumelelo ukuhamba njengengxenye yohlelo oluhlanganisiwe, oluhlakaniphile lwezokuthutha.

Umlando wezibani zomgwaqo (traffic lights) ubufakazi bobuhlakani bomuntu kanye nokuphishekela okungapheli kokuphepha, kanye nezinhlelo zokuthutha eziphumelelayo emadolobheni akhulayo. Kusukela ezibanini zaseBrithani ezazisebenzisa igesi ngo-1868 kuya kumanethiwekhi anamuhla anobuhlakani bokwenziwa (AI), isizukulwane ngasinye sobuchwepheshe sifunde kubuthakathaka balokho okwadlula futhi senza intuthuko ephawulekayo ekuphepheni, ekuthembekeni, nasekusebenzeni kahle. Isibani somgwaqo siguquke sisuka kumshini olula wokukhombisa (mechanical semaphore) saba yindawo ehlakaniphile, exhumekile ohlelweni lwedolobha olusebenzisa idatha, olukwazi ukuthatha izinqumo ngesikhathi sangempela nokwenza ukulungiswa okubheke phambili. Njengoba amadolobha eqhubeka eminyana futhi ubuchwepheshe bukhula, izibani zomgwaqo zizoba nobuhlakani obukhulu, zikwazi ukuzijwayeza kangcono, futhi zihlangane kahle nezimoto, abahamba ngezinyawo, nengqalasizinda. I-Shandong Penghui Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. ihlala ibambe iqhaza kule nqubekelaphambili, ihlinzeka ngezixazululo zezibani zomgwaqo ezisezingeni eliphezulu ezisiza omasipala emhlabeni wonke ukwakha amanethiwekhi ezokuthutha esikhathi esizayo. Ukuqonda umlando ophelele wentuthuko yezibani zomgwaqo kusisiza ukuba siqonde indima ebalulekile lezi zinto ezizidlalayo ekuphileni kwethu kwansuku zonke futhi kusinikeza ukuzethemba ekuqhubekeleni phambili kobuchwepheshe bokuhamba. Uhambo lwesibani somgwaqo alukapheli, futhi isahluko esilandelayo sithembisa ukuba esishintsha kakhulu, ngezinhlelo ezixhumekile, ezizimele, nezingasimame ezichaza kabusha indlela esihamba ngayo emadolobheni ethu.