Audi travolution project has cars and traffic signals talking

Filed under: Europe, Technology, Audi

Audi is experimenting with networking cars and traffic systems in order to cut the amount of time drivers spend idling at stoplights. The German automaker claims that its efforts could result in saving 184,920 gallons of fuel per year and slim CO2 emissions by as much as two million tons. The idea is pretty simple – each car is able to communicate with upcoming traffic lights via wireless LAN and UMTS connections. As the vehicle approaches a stoplight that’s already red, the light will tell the car how long it will be before it turns green again. The information is then conveyed to the driver, allowing them to alter their speed accordingly to avoid coming to a full stop.

Likewise, if a signal is about to change from green to yellow or yellow to red, the driver is alerted by a audio or visual warning, allowing them to decrease speed ahead of time. Audi says the system, which the company calls Travolution, is already at work at 25 stoplights in Danube, and it has a test fleet of 15 vehicles.

In a completely separate application, the vehicles’ wireless capability will also allow drivers to pay for fuel or parking via the car’s MMI system instead of using cash or a credit card. The car is able to communicate directly with the pumps or the parking garage, display the charges on the car’s screen and then charge the driver’s account as necessary. Hit the jump for the press release.

[Source: Audi]

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