UR:BAN developing driver assistance and traffic management systems

European vehicle manufacturers, including BMW, Opel and Mercedes-Benz and MAN, are taking part in a new project to develop advanced driver assistance and traffic management systems for cities. The focus is on the human element in all aspects of mobility and traffic and takes the form of three approaches: Cognitive Assistance; Networked Traffic Systems; and Human Factors in Traffic. The four-year UR:BAN project (from a German acronym for Urban Space: User-oriented assistance systems and network managemen
May 16, 2014 Read time: 3 mins

European vehicle manufacturers, including 1731 BMW, 4233 Opel and 1685 Mercedes-Benz and 267 MAN, are taking part in a new project to develop advanced driver assistance and traffic management systems for cities. The focus is on the human element in all aspects of mobility and traffic and takes the form of three approaches: Cognitive Assistance; Networked Traffic Systems; and Human Factors in Traffic.

 

The four-year UR:BAN project (from a German acronym for Urban Space: User-oriented assistance systems and network management), has been running since 2012 , funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with 31 partners from the automotive industry, electronics/software development, research institutes and municipalities participating.

 

To tackle the cognitive assistance challenge, Opel is developing an advanced driver assistance system which uses a camera, radar and modified steering and braking systems. When a driver fails to responded to an impending collision, the system will take evasive action to steer the car away from the object.

 

Opel is also working on car-to-X communication system which shares data with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure over a wi-fi connection. The system would apparently operate like the 2125 Audi Online traffic light information system and advise drivers how fast to travel to ensure they can get a green light at an intersection.

 

Meanwhile BMW is developing a driver assistance system to help protect pedestrians: the system analyses the situation and the pedestrian’s behaviour to assess whether there is a risk of collision with the vehicle. Accidents with pedestrians can be avoided by braking, steering or a combination of the two.  Systems installed in a BMW 5 series research vehicle make it possible to recognise detailed features of a pedestrian, i.e. the head and upper part of the body and to classify the direction in which the pedestrian is moving.

 

Truck manufacturer MAN is looking into ways of making commercial vehicles safer and more efficient for city driving. The company’s researchers are how vehicles can most efficiently provide information from assistance systems to the driver in busy urban traffic and how the cockpit can be designed so as to display exactly the right information to the driver in any given traffic situation.

 

BMW anticipates that UR:BAN will foster radical improvements in traffic flow in the future, as BMW Managing Director Dr Christoph Grote, explained: "This will enable us to further increase safety, efficiency and comfort in urban areas to significant effect," he said. 

Location Based Systems Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • BMW i Ventures makes strategic investment in Coulomb Technologies
    July 26, 2012
    BMW i Ventures is making a strategic investment in Coulomb Technologies which claims its ChargePoint network is the largest online global charging network, connecting electric vehicle drivers to charging stations in more than 14 countries. The investment by BMW supports the development of infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles. "BMW i Ventures recognises the importance of a global charging network for electric vehicle drivers," said Dr. Ulrich Quay, managing director of BMW i Ventures. "BMW is focused
    Read More
  • MAPping public transport and parking data
    February 9, 2015
    The Australian city of Adelaide, which has embarked on a 30-year urban development plan, is piloting Xerox’s new Mobility Analytics Platform (MAP) to improve its public transport services by analysing people flows between different sectors of the city. The recently-introduced analytics platform analyses the anonymous data created by the daily transportation and ticket-buying habits of millions of commuters and produces a new city-wide picture of transportation operations including adherence to schedules
    Read More
  • Inrix Partners with BMW to introduce intermodal navigation
    January 14, 2014
    Inrix is to partner with BMW with the introduction of what is said to be the industry's first in-car intermodal navigation system. Debuting in BMW ConnectedDrive systems in the new i3 and i8 electric vehicles, Inrix intermodal navigation integrates local public transport connections into journey planning. The service monitors real-time traffic conditions, alerting drivers to faster alternative modes of transportation when major delays occur along their route. Upon selecting an alternative mode, the sy
    Read More
  • Data crunching ‘can prevent cars crashing’
    March 25, 2013
    Having already cut traffic collisions resulting in injuries and deaths by nearly forty per cent in five years by analysing patterns from data it has collected, the city of Edmonton, Canada, is using predictive technologies to increase road safety even more. The city’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) has installed as many as 200 digital signs as just one element of an innovative traffic safety program that has dramatically reduced vehicle collisions in the Edmonton region since OTS launched in late 2006. Unde
    Read More

Highlighted Content