What are cognitive cars?
Cars that perceive the world around them,automatically store knowledge and make reaction decisions in real-time this is the goal of a 12-year research project in which Audi scientists are taking part. Together with colleagues from three German universities and the Fraunhofer institute for Information and Data Processing, the researchers are working to develop cognitive systems that will help prevent accidents.
The intention is for them to form the backbone of future driver assistance systems capable not only of warning of imminent danger, but also of recognising and responding to hazards without the need for driver involvement. The study is being carried out on three Audi models equipped with all necessary electronic gadgetry.
Travolution
How can modern-day infrastructure be used to streamline traf?c ?ows more effectively? This is the conundrum that the Travolution project initiated by Audi is tackling. The solution lies in 46 traf?c lights in lngolstadt networked to a host system. Based on information constantly relayed from the intersections, the host system calculates the signal phases in order to maximise the "green wave", among other things.
One aspect of the initiative focuses on the "informed driver" whose vehicle communicates with traf?c lights by WLAN and indicates on the display the travelling speed needed to catch the green phase. Travolution ?ndings will be incorporated into the work of the Car2Car Communication Consortium—a joint venture by European carmakers to develop a uniform system of communication between individual vehicles as well as with traf?c infrastructure.
