Vodafone and Ford test digital parking guidance system
The digital parking guidance system developed by Ford and Vodafone informs the driver in the car about the number of free parking spaces in the surrounding multi-storey car parks. The technology then navigates the driver directly to the available parking spaces. This saves time and relieves city traffic.
The system automatically updates itself continuously in real time based on data directly from the parking spaces. The digital parking guidance system is currently being tested on the KoMoD test field in Düsseldorf (Germany).
Vehicles and parking spaces communicate via mobile radio. Thanks to V2X mobile communications technology – meaning the C-V2X variant, which in contrast to the competing IEEE 802.11p standard also uses mobile communications infrastructures – the cars receive all road condition and car park information from a central computer system. If a traffic accident occurs on the route to a free parking space, or if a car park is suddenly busy, the driver receives direct recommendations on the dashboard display to drive to alternative parking spaces.
Within the KoMoD project, the cooperation partners are researching further networked application scenarios that are intended to relieve road congestion in the future:
- Traffic light assistance systems inform drivers about the duration of red and green phases of traffic lights. This can avoid abrupt braking at red traffic lights, increase safety, reduce fuel consumption and optimize traffic flow. This is because drivers can adjust speeds with foresight.
- Tunnel information systems give drivers advance information about lane closures, speed limits or slow-moving vehicles in tunnels.
- Networked Vario signs along the main traffic arteries provide up-to-date information on major events that can influence local traffic. This includes, for example, exhibitions, concerts or football matches with many spectators.
- Intelligent traffic control systems on the motorway improve the entire traffic flow by short-term adaptation of speed limits.
- Smart traffic sign recognition sends speed and hazard sign information directly to cars via mobile radio. While traffic sign recognition with cameras is available in many vehicles, its functionality is limited in bad weather or surrounded by large vehicles. The transmission of traffic sign information to the vehicle via a mobile phone connection directly from the sign ensures that all drivers see important safety notices.
- The bad weather warning automatically transmits current weather conditions (e.g. sudden heavy rain) from a vehicle to all cars in the vicinity. For example, if a vehicle’s automatic windscreen wipers detect rain, this information is shared directly with other vehicles.
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