German car giant, Daimler is trialling a car to X communication system as part of a new project consisting of 120 vehicles. These vehicles will take to the roads of the Rhine-Main region of Germany until the end of the year, to test their social network connections which allows each to share information with each other and communicate with the traffic infrastructure.
Through these network connections, the vehicles should be able to travel in a safer and more efficient manner, sharing information about traffic flow, accidents and road hazards. Daimler says this demonstrates how ‘social networking’, usually a past-time of people, is also useful for cars, for safer and more efficient travel.
An example where one car may be able to help another, include when a traffic jam is hidden behind the crest of a hill. Following vehicles approaching the problem area can be alerted in good time, allowing the driver to take appropriate action. C2X systems can also do their bit to make traffic more efficient and thus more environmentally friendly, for example, by helping to control traffic light systems according to demand, thereby optimising traffic flow. In addition, it can offer a range of convenient functions such as suggested routes to the nearest available car park.
Research project simTD
The aim of the new field trial is to test the systems’ suitability for everyday use in real-life traffic conditions. These experiments are part of the simTD research project headed by Daimler AG. (The name simTD stands for ‘Safe Intelligent Mobility – test field Germany’.) “
We are convinced that C2X communication is going to play an important role in the mobility of the future,” said the overall simTD project leader Dr. Christian Weiß, who is in charge of cooperating systems at Daimler Research and Advance Development. “C2X communication allows us to detect objects and hazardous situations far beyond the immediate environment of the vehicle. This is a significant step on the path towards accident-free driving.”
Project simTD (www.simtd.de) is a collaboration between German car makers, automotive suppliers, communications companies, research institutes and the public sector. The project is sponsored and supported by Germany’s Federal Ministries of Economics and Technology (BMWi), Education and Research (BMBF), and Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS), as well as the Federal State of Hessen.
Daimler is also engaged in C2X communication research in the US. At its site in Palo Alto, California, it is fitting C2X systems to vehicles and carrying out tests. Its US research enables Daimler to test the technologies international potential and address the particular requirements of the American market.
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
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