Better information for motorway drivers

13 May 2010, 8:27pm

Frankfurt/Karlsruhe, May 12, 2010. Cooperation as the key to success: New traffic management systems pave the way for enhanced traveller information on motorways. This is demonstrated by trend-setting technologies developed as part of the CVIS research project (Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure Systems). The research results were presented to the public on May 6 with live driving demonstrations on the Hesse test area (Drive-Center Hesse in Frankfurt a.M.).

Different sources and information channels are used in order to provide road users with precise traffic information. PTV AG, the transportation experts from Karlsruhe, has developed the concept for the intelligent distribution of information as well as important software modules required for the display of the current traffic situation, for example.

In a final presentation, Hesse's road transport authority (HLSV), Daimler, Mat.Traffic and PTV showed their results on "cooperative" systems which focus on interaction and communication between vehicles, infrastructure and traffic information centres.

The implemented procedure is a technological milestone for cities, counties and regions. For the first time, traffic information from different sources are combined and sent back to all information systems involved in the process.

The central data pool is the traffic management centre that has the overview of the current traffic flow thanks to information on the vehicle positions transferred from contact loops on the motorway. It also receives incident alerts from the vehicles via EFCD (Enhanced Floating Car Data). The traffic management centre displays these messages (e.g. Traffic jam ahead) on its digital information screens and gantries. So-called roadside units (RSU) then send the information on to the vehicles on the road. This closed-loop traffic messaging provides all road users with the information they need during their journey.

Dr. Michael Ortgiese, PTV project manager, says: "Cooperative systems are the future. We are confident that they will help us increase road safety and efficiency due to the fact that drivers get important information more quickly. Traffic messaging will become more precise and,for the first time, we are able to sent strategic route recommendations to the vehicle."

Intelligent information chain based on PTV's IT know-how and expertise PTV developed the intelligent information distribution concept for CVIS. The company focuses on the optimisation of traffic and transportation. As system integrator, it developed and implemented the network architecture for Hesse's test area based on the new Internet protocol, version on 6 (IPv6).

Hardware and software for both the roadside infrastructure and the vehicle platform were implemented and configured: PTV developed the software for traffic flow analysis via EFCD and for the display of information on road control systems. The team of researchers was able to visualise the traffic flow on the Internet and to display the vehicles.

The CVIS project

The aim of the research project is to use cooperative systems to improve traffic flow, increase safety and to minimise the negative
effects of traffic on the environment. CVIS is sponsored by the European Union and runs from 2007 to June 2010. Over 60 international
partners from diverse industries are working on many sub-projects.

Technology for cooperative traffic and transportation management in inner-city areas was developed and tested as part of the sub-projects COMO (Cooperative Monitoring) and CURB (Cooperative Urban Applications). For more information on cooperative systems and new Car-to-X (C2X) technologies, please visit the link below.

Car-to-X (C2X) technologies

Geo: International