San Francisco/Munich.
At the 12th International Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS Congress) in San Francisco, BMW will present a research system that enables vehicles to record and transmit information on current weather and the traffic situation. As part of the first Innovative Mobility Showcase (IMS), which takes place from 6th to 9th November in parallel with the ITS Congress, BMW will be showing three research vehicles equipped with the “Extended Floating Car Data System” (XFCD).
On a special test track at SBC Park, the following scenario will be demonstrated: a vehicle drives on a slippery surface, processes information regarding the low traction situation in a matter of seconds and warns the following car in real time. This same information is simultaneously transmitted to a control center where it is statistically processed. Information obtained by XFCD vehicles regarding the traffic situation on the public road network can then be viewed on websites by IMS participants.
Improved information for enhanced safety.
In the future, extended traffic-related information provided through XFCD will allow even more accurate processing of information than the “Floating Car Data” system (FCD) currently in use in Germany. Using FCD, cars are able to send their location details and travel times to a control center which then compares this data with that received from other FCD vehicles and other traffic data sources in order to identify congestion on the roads. Using XFCD, vehicles would be able to assess the respective traffic situation themselves by directly evaluating all the available car data. For example, the car would immediately recognize local hazards such as black ice or aquaplaning, as well as being able to assess the traffic situation at any given time. It would then pass this information on to a traffic control center and could simultaneously warn other affected vehicles in the vicinity through car-to-car communication, thus contributing to an even more rapid and direct information flow.
Intelligent use of existing data.
There is no need for any additional hardware to be integrated into the car for this new data gathering system. XFCD works on the basis of existing vehicle architecture and merely has to be supplemented by software programs. In a modern car, there is a great deal more data available from the vehicle’s system beyond information on road speed. The introduction of modern on-board networks bundles a broad spectrum of available data that can be used to glean information on the traffic situation, road conditions and prevailing weather. This includes information on the use of high or low beam, foglamps, outside thermometer and air-conditioning, brakes, navigation system, rain sensor, windscreen wipers and more. The data is processed within the car to produce messages on incidents, traffic flow and road conditions. From this, conclusions can be drawn as to possible congestion and hazards such as heavy rain, aquaplaning, black ice, poor visibility or fog. For example, the intervention of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) in conjunction with a low outdoor temperature, active windscreen wiper and relatively slow road speed would point towards a localized danger of skidding caused by black ice, sleet, snow, or oil.
Cars in conversation.
A major advantage of XFCD is the ability to send all messages directly to other vehicles. The information is sent to all affected vehicles in the vicinity using so-called ad-hoc networks. Depending on the situation, each vehicle takes on the role of sender, receiver or relayer. The advantage: ad-hoc networks are able to organize themselves and, in principle, thanks to the “multihopping” process, have an unlimited range and require no infrastructure whatsoever.
BMW ConnectedDrive.
Within the BMW Group, XFCD forms part of the BMW ConnectedDrive concept. The underlying idea here is to link up driver, vehicle and surroundings by means of telematics, online and driver assistance systems – on the road towards fulfilling the vision of safe and congestion-free driving.
Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) is the all-encompassing ITS initiative in the US. While the future system is still in the process of development, BMW has already created and implemented the fundamentals that connect vehicles with the traffic and service infrastructure.
Through the Safety and Convenience Services of BMW Assist, BMW currently offers a suite of telematics applications. In addition to TeleService, which automatically notifies the BMW center of the vehicle's service needs, BMW Assist services include Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Emergency Request (SOS button), and Enhanced Roadside Assistance, as well as Directions, Traffic and Weather. In today's reality, these services already link the vehicle via data and/or voice connection to a service provider.
At the 12th International Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS Congress) in San Francisco, BMW will present a research system that enables vehicles to record and transmit information on current weather and the traffic situation. As part of the first Innovative Mobility Showcase (IMS), which takes place from 6th to 9th November in parallel with the ITS Congress, BMW will be showing three research vehicles equipped with the “Extended Floating Car Data System” (XFCD).
On a special test track at SBC Park, the following scenario will be demonstrated: a vehicle drives on a slippery surface, processes information regarding the low traction situation in a matter of seconds and warns the following car in real time. This same information is simultaneously transmitted to a control center where it is statistically processed. Information obtained by XFCD vehicles regarding the traffic situation on the public road network can then be viewed on websites by IMS participants.
Improved information for enhanced safety.
In the future, extended traffic-related information provided through XFCD will allow even more accurate processing of information than the “Floating Car Data” system (FCD) currently in use in Germany. Using FCD, cars are able to send their location details and travel times to a control center which then compares this data with that received from other FCD vehicles and other traffic data sources in order to identify congestion on the roads. Using XFCD, vehicles would be able to assess the respective traffic situation themselves by directly evaluating all the available car data. For example, the car would immediately recognize local hazards such as black ice or aquaplaning, as well as being able to assess the traffic situation at any given time. It would then pass this information on to a traffic control center and could simultaneously warn other affected vehicles in the vicinity through car-to-car communication, thus contributing to an even more rapid and direct information flow.
Intelligent use of existing data.
There is no need for any additional hardware to be integrated into the car for this new data gathering system. XFCD works on the basis of existing vehicle architecture and merely has to be supplemented by software programs. In a modern car, there is a great deal more data available from the vehicle’s system beyond information on road speed. The introduction of modern on-board networks bundles a broad spectrum of available data that can be used to glean information on the traffic situation, road conditions and prevailing weather. This includes information on the use of high or low beam, foglamps, outside thermometer and air-conditioning, brakes, navigation system, rain sensor, windscreen wipers and more. The data is processed within the car to produce messages on incidents, traffic flow and road conditions. From this, conclusions can be drawn as to possible congestion and hazards such as heavy rain, aquaplaning, black ice, poor visibility or fog. For example, the intervention of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) in conjunction with a low outdoor temperature, active windscreen wiper and relatively slow road speed would point towards a localized danger of skidding caused by black ice, sleet, snow, or oil.
Cars in conversation.
A major advantage of XFCD is the ability to send all messages directly to other vehicles. The information is sent to all affected vehicles in the vicinity using so-called ad-hoc networks. Depending on the situation, each vehicle takes on the role of sender, receiver or relayer. The advantage: ad-hoc networks are able to organize themselves and, in principle, thanks to the “multihopping” process, have an unlimited range and require no infrastructure whatsoever.
BMW ConnectedDrive.
Within the BMW Group, XFCD forms part of the BMW ConnectedDrive concept. The underlying idea here is to link up driver, vehicle and surroundings by means of telematics, online and driver assistance systems – on the road towards fulfilling the vision of safe and congestion-free driving.
Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) is the all-encompassing ITS initiative in the US. While the future system is still in the process of development, BMW has already created and implemented the fundamentals that connect vehicles with the traffic and service infrastructure.
Through the Safety and Convenience Services of BMW Assist, BMW currently offers a suite of telematics applications. In addition to TeleService, which automatically notifies the BMW center of the vehicle's service needs, BMW Assist services include Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Emergency Request (SOS button), and Enhanced Roadside Assistance, as well as Directions, Traffic and Weather. In today's reality, these services already link the vehicle via data and/or voice connection to a service provider.
![[:(]](/images/smilies/frown.png "Frown [:(]")