PHOTO: Dado Ruvic / REUTERS Manu was running late for work. She never hit the snooze button, yet it was already 8:40 AM and her work started at 9:00. What Manu needed was a traffic-free path, and guess who was her hero? Google Maps! Seeing a bright blue line on the screen, she grabbed her bag and keys, rushing out happily! Wow! That blue line on Google Maps is pure gold for anyone going to school, college, market, or work. This popular app by Google is a daily buddy for millions, showing maps, satellite views, aerial photos, and much more. But what many don’t notice is its powerful traffic detection skill. Whether you ride a bike, car, bus, or auto, those coloured lines show if your way is clear or stuck. Blue means “go!go!go!”, orange warns “slow down, some traffic ahead”, and red screams “danger! Expect delay!” How does Google Maps pull off this traffic magic? The secret lies in three clever tricks: history, real-time sensors, and machine learning. First: History. Like wise old advice, Google Maps studies past traffic patterns and average speeds on roads at different times. This treasure chest of data helps guess which roads will be crowded at any hour. Second: Real-time information sensors. Ever wonder how Google knows what’s happening right now? It gets live updates from traffic sensors set up by governments or experts, plus GPS from millions of phones with Google Maps turned on. Cool tech like radar and infrared sends this info wirelessly to Google’s servers. Third: Machine learning. This is where AI steps in! After buying DeepMind, Google Maps uses a smart method called Graph Neural Networks. It connects data about roads, traffic signals, weather, accidents, and more to predict traffic flow like a pro. Next time you see those colourful lines, remember the smart tricks behind them! Thanks to history, sensors, and brainy AI, Google Maps helps you dodge jams and arrive on time, just like Manu did. Published - November 07, 2025 03:33 pm IST