Cutting-edge connectivity

Within system limits, traffic sign recognition is able to identify temporarily imposed speed limits—such as around roadworks—and use the cellular network to send them to a cloud-based server, which also captures notifications from other drivers. The information is regarded as verified as soon as enough other cars submit the same alert. It can then be passed on to other Audi motorists whose vehicles are linked to the cloud or be used by relevant driver assistance systems, fitted either as standard or optional equipment. A similar system governs hazard information: Cars communicating via a cloud, warn drivers about hazards corroborated by swarm intelligence, such as accident and breakdown sites, as well as slippery surfaces which may cause skidding. For an accident or breakdown to be reported, the eCall system must have made an emergency call or an airbag been deployed. Here, too, the system only notifies the cloud with a view to warning subsequent road users once information about a hazard has been validated.

Andreas Friedrich, Project Manager for Infotainment Services, offers insight into the process: “In the case of congestion reports, we rely on a service provider which we in turn supply with information from Audi cars. This is, of course, anonymous. In other words, no sensitive data is shared. It means that when multiple vehicles are traveling at 20 kilometers per hour on a specific section of highway, then there’s most probably a traffic jam. This information is transmitted to the provider who will pass it on accordingly. This way, subsequent vehicles that approach that stretch of road will benefit from the swarm intelligence.”

New functions in other fields, such as the increasingly relevant issue of finding parking in urban areas, are also under development. Called On Street Parking, this particular car-to-x service will be available soon in models with the appropriate technology, such as the new Audi Q8, and help drivers with the search. The system is able to autonomously recognize parking maneuvers and then relay these to the cloud. In a nutshell, it points to sections of parking that are presumably fully occupied. Here again, swarm intelligence is key: Other suitably equipped and consequently cloud-enabled vehicles can give motorists a better insight into parking availability at a specific site. Down the line, the next stage of development with its additional complement of sensors, including cameras and ultrasonic sensors, will help improve cars’ ability to pinpoint available parking spots. The system will then rely on statistical models to calculate the number of free parking spots at the side of the road, based on factors such as the time of day. Drivers can then view the likelihood of finding a parking spot in real time.

“You have to look at the big picture in this regard: These and other services form the basis for piloted driving. And consequently for progressing toward autonomous driving, too. Following this graduated pattern, we will be introducing more and more services of this kind in production models,” adds Stefan Hackner, Project Manager for Car-to-X Services.

Those services currently available in the new Audi Q8 already offer a sneak preview of what features will play a key role in shaping tomorrow’s mobility. In addition to alternative drive systems and innovative technologies, digitalization and networking will remain focal aspects, paving the way for cutting-edge connectivity and adding a new dimension to being on the move.