Major players in the car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communications field have started a new round of testing in the German state of Hesse. A consortium of Opel , supplier Continental and traffic management system vendor Dambach Werke will conduct field trials using WLAN-based communication systems to generate vehicle probe data and modify traffic management systems accordingly, as well as warn drivers of hazards.
Within the DIAMANT project — Dynamic Information and Applications for securing Mobility using Adaptive Networks and Telematics Infrastructure — Continental will provide the required systems in vehicles from Opel. Dambach will build the roadside units, provide the software and integrate these elements to form a comprehensive traffic management system. The state government says system deployment will start in 2012.
The in-car devices process data collected by an array of sensors already in place such as speed sensors, radar-based distance sensors and existing road condition sensors along with navigation data. In addition, they communicate with other cars on the road. The data gathered are used to detect traffic situations such as disabled vehicles or high traffic density. If necessary, a warning is displayed on the dashboard.