To make crossroads and other junctions safer in the future, Volkswagen is working with Siemens to develop information exchanges between vehicles and infrastructure.
The two brands have set up a test section on a main road in the German city of Wolfsburg where ten traffic signals transmit the light phases to other signals in their vicinity.
Volkswagen intends to give drivers information on the status of lights on their route, so that they won’t need to accelerate or brake unnecessarily – helping save fuel and reduce the likelihood of accidents.
The German brand will also look to make this process an integral part of their assistant functions, meaning drivers won’t even have to think about it.
Manfred Fuhg, Siemens head of mobility in Germany, said: “Crossroads equipped with radar sensor technology are able to significantly increase accuracy in the detection of pedestrians and cyclists. Information that vehicles are not able to detect themselves is provided at complex intersections and accident black spots in particular.
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“Based on systems with artificial intelligence in traffic signal systems, intelligent control methods can provide vehicles with much more precise information on red and green phases than was previously possible.”
Klaus Mohrs, mayor of Wolfsburg, said: “The city of Wolfsburg and Volkswagen have set themselves the objective of becoming a digital model city with #WolfsburgDigital. When traffic lights and cars communicate, the benefits of digitisation become tangible for many people.”
