Frankfurt Named Site of Test for Cars with Sixth Sense

The German auto industry is opening a new chapter in the history of mobility with “Car-to-X Communication”. This futuristic technology will be tested around Frankfurt, Germany, under everyday conditions in an extensive project called “Sichere Intelligente Mobilität – Testfeld Deutschland” (Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test Area Germany), which is scheduled to begin later this year. The project was presented to the media in Frankfurt today by the German Federal government, the State of Hesse, and the VDA, the German automobile industry association. Experts expect significant advances in traffic efficiency from cars that can communicate with each other as well as their surroundings; flow can be improved, jams reduced, and safety increased.

Opel is one of the leading partners in SIM-TD, providing the project with cars and technology. The trials in real-life traffic of the Rhine-Main area should begin by the end of 2007 and will last four years. Opel has been involved in “Staufreies Hessen 2015” (traffic jam-free Hesse 2015), an initiative of the Hesse state government, since August 2006. Under the name “DIAMANT” (Dynamic Information and Application to ensure Mobility with Adaptive Networks and Telematics), the project established by Opel and the state of Hesse also aims to improve traffic flow and help to reduce jams in the future.

SIM-TD is the next logical step in the evolution of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, according to Hans Demant, Vice President Engineering, General Motors Europe, and Managing Director, Adam Opel GmbH. “As one of the leaders in this technology, we are looking forward to participating in the project, and to testing our V2V systems in real traffic.”

Key to success: Everyday use and affordable technology

Cars equipped with V2V technology can communicate with each other and exchange information such as position and speed. Drivers are then warned in advance by their vehicle’s “sixth sense” if another car is traveling in their blind spot, stopped in an area that is difficult or impossible to see, or about to enter the same intersection as they are. “Driving is a very complex task. Knowing where the other guy is and where he’s headed can be as important as being in control of your own vehicle,” says Demant.

V2V technology is based on proven and affordable components – a microprocessor, GPS receivers (Global Positioning System) and wireless LAN – giving it the potential to become standard equipment in many vehicles. The alternative would be to offer extremely expensive high-tech systems for just a few cars, but that would be contrary to the fundamental idea of V2V. Demant: “The more vehicles that are equipped with these cooperative systems, the more effectively they work. So it is important that V2V technology remains affordable.”