At the Berlin Economic Conference just yesterday, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler aimed to push and promote the idea of a digitized urban infrastructure. With Audi well on their way to producing a marketable autonomous car, a digitized infrastructure would be an ideal environment in which an autonomous car can operate.
Some of our readers who have been around for more than a couple of decades may remember a time when traffic lights did not operate on the green-wave system, where all traffic lights on a long straight were timed and operated in tandem to ensure smooth traffic flow. In principal, a digitized infrastructure would take this concept to a highly advanced conclusion- especially if cars are included in the communication loop.
Targeting 2050 for the beginning of an autonomous era, Stadler believes that in order to achieve this goal it will require both manufacturers and the government to work together- and that a city must be as smart as the cars that move within it.
Communication between traffic lights and cars are predicted to be critically important in improving efficiency, and Stadler believes it could reduce total fuel consumption by 900 million litres a year, along with CO2 reductions of over a million tonnes annually.
There’s also the added benefit of reducing storage space if autonomous driving becomes a reality. Cars can be parked closer to each other in order to reduce space as there is no need for occupants to exit the vehicle. Stadler predicts that this could reduce parking spaces by up to 30% in size, which he believes will make the land available for other uses.
We may not necessarily be fans of the piloted driving principal, but one can’t deny that it could be incredibly useful and make the commute for people far more convenient. Reducing traffic congestion and improving road safety is something we can all rally behind.
