Audi is set to launch its first production cars equipped with vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) integrated technology on selected ‘connected’ models in the USA during the autumn.
Audi of America, in conjunction with Traffic Technology Services (TTS), will launch its first V2I technology, called Traffic Light Information, which will arrive on select 2017 Audi Q7, A4 and A4 Allroad models over the next few months.
Traffic Light Information is part of its suite of Audi Connect PRIME services, which enable the car to communicate with the infrastructure in select cities and metropolitan areas across the USA. The vehicle receives real-time signal information from the advanced traffic management system that monitors traffic signals. The link between vehicle and infrastructure is routed via the onboard LTE data connection and Traffic Technology Services’ servers.
While waiting at a connected traffic signal, the driver information system in the instrument cluster, as well as the head-up-display (if equipped), indicate the time remaining until the signal changes to green. Traffic Light Information is the latest in a line of pioneering connected car innovations from Audi. In 2010, the company was the first manufacturer to offer a broadband-enabled vehicle. Since then, Audi Connect has continued to expand on its industry-leading services and capabilities. In 2014, Audi was the first manufacturer to offer 4G/LTE broadband connectivity. Strategic partnerships, such as the one with TTS, and a proprietary scalable infotainment architecture has allowed the auto maker to continuously offer its customers the latest in mobile connectivity services.
“This feature represents our first step in vehicle-to-infrastructure integration,” said Pom Malhotra, general manager of connected vehicles at Audi of America. “In the future, we could envision this technology integrated into vehicle navigation, start/stop functionality, and can even be used to help improve traffic flow in municipalities. These improvements could lead to better overall efficiency and shorter commuting times.”
TTS is an Oregon-based technology company and information provider for the automotive industry. The company’s creative and innovative portfolio includes the Personal Signal Assistant product, which forms the basis for the Audi Traffic Light Information system. In January this year, TTS formed a partnership with traffic control equipment manufacturer McCain to deliver traffic signal control data to TTS’s cloud-based Personal Signal Assistant system.
The partnership affords TTS the ability to access data regarding thousands of traffic signal controllers using McCain’s central software in North America. TTS transforms the traffic signal data to deliver predicted traffic signal state changes to vehicles equipped with its technology. With McCain’s assistance, Audi and TTS were able to demonstrate the Personal Signal Assistant/Traffic Light Information system during the 2016 Washington Auto Show, using McCain’s traffic signal information from connected intersections throughout the downtown Washington DC area.
