Audi Puts More 'Go' Into Stop-and-Go

If police officers in Ingolstadt notice a decrease in luxury car drivers running red lights these days, we suspect it's because of a new project piloted by Audi that lets drivers know exactly how long before a traffic light turns. According to Audi's press release, the system is meant to prevent "frustrating, fuel-sapping stops at red traffic lights." After all, the last thing you want to see when you're driving your brand-new S5 is a red light. We're liking Audi engineers more and more each day.

Dubbed Travolution, the project depends on communications modules built into traffic lights. Those modules transmit signals to the Audi Multi Media Interface (MMI) which, in turn, shows the driver whether he or she is able to proceed safely and if so, what speed he or she must maintain in order to make it through before the light turns red. Even better, if there's no oncoming traffic, your Audi can make the light turn green. Of course, if Ed Bradley is driving, chances are the car will unintentionally accelerate even if his foot is on the brake.

In a world filled with revenue-producing red-light cameras linked to yellow lights shorter than William Hung's career, Travolution is a refreshing escape that makes driving more efficient and more fun. Audi's press release contends that Travolution "could also dramatically reduce the number of actual stops needed by creating a communications link between cars and the traffic light network." In other words, a Travolution-equipped traffic light could in real time sense how many cars are waiting to turn at each branch of an intersection and adjust its signal accordingly. This will come as no surprise to the tinfoil hat brigade, who think that government agents wielding magical TV remotes are already controlling the world's stoplights.

We like the added safety benefit of the dashboard speed guide for when you don't know whether it'd be safer to slow down or speed up for a yellow light. Slam on the brakes, and you'll waste gas and risk being hit from behind (42 percent of signalized accidents). Speed up, and you'll risk a traffic ticket or a side-on collision (28 percent of signalized accidents). Traffic engineers refer to this phenomenon as "the dilemma zone." This writer refers to it as, "Sorry, officer, I thought it was going to stay yellow for longer."

Sadly, the project is only an experiment in Audi's home city, so we will have to rely on the old trick our driving instructor taught us: The yellow light should hold for as many seconds as the leading digit of the speed limit of the road. After all, if Travolution catches on, that excuse won't hold up in court.

ghosthunter - 9/25/2008 4:30:31 PM

+6 Boost

that is an awsome system. but somehow i feel that system will made people wanna speed more.

WorldofLuxury - 9/26/2008 10:34:39 PM

+1 Boost

ghosthunter...I hate you 'cause you're right
lol

But I WANT ONE!

M35MT - 9/25/2008 4:42:46 PM

+7 Boost

"Even better, if there's no oncoming traffic, your Audi can make the light turn green."

Coolest thing ever in a car. That's making machines work for you!

S4cabriofoxone - 9/26/2008 12:31:35 AM

+3 Boost

I thought the same thing... It's like having psychic powers. Amazing! I hope it makes it to the US!

Threepoint1415926 - 9/26/2008 4:39:15 PM

+3 Boost

The problem utahnkid, is not that we dont have the ability to time lights correctly at night. It's that lights are often intentionally and actively timed to slow traffic.

Here in Denver, I was on a team that optimized traffic lights for drive-time traffic. The power's that be, however, decided it was best at night when roads were open to crack down on overzealous speeders by use of traffic lights. Ask yourself how many times you've been up in the middle of the night, traveling down the road and watching every green light turn red just as you approach. It's simply ridiculous and I for one believe it encourages road racing.

Then, we also have municipalities with the intention of boosting their economy. It's no surprise that around most of America's malls, traffic moves slowly and stops at every light, giving consumers plenty of time to look out the window at the shops and advertising. This is by design, not by accident.

The move to smart lights negates those two wonderful ideas schemed up by local political leaders.

What angers me even more though, and the reason no amount of smart lights will ever matter are Prius drivers (or similar drivers, but definitely all Prius drivers) during drive-time. Rush hour traffic lights work best when everyone lifts and accelerates at the same rate. Most people already know the traffic light timing and are prepared for it. What ends up happening with hybrid drivers, however, is they never want to put their foot down hard enough to start the gas engine or use a drop of fuel and they end up taking off so slowly that they miss the next light. Then then sit there at the red light contently with their engines off, ready to do it again next cycle all the while keeping up traffic; everyone else sits and idles and churns out road rage behind them. Then, when she cant take it anymore, mom in her SUV finally gets irritated enough to floor it past the Prius, using 9 gallons of gas in the process.

E36er - 9/25/2008 5:00:23 PM

+5 Boost

This is so logical, so German. Too bad we're bankrupt as a nation right now.

VISO - 9/25/2008 5:19:17 PM

+4 Boost

"Of course, if Ed Bradley is driving, chances are the car will unintentionally accelerate even if his foot is on the brake."

That's the best one-liner.

AutoEng - 9/25/2008 6:31:43 PM

+6 Boost

Woohoo! It's been a long time coming, but its nice to see this tech hitting production. I am particularly biased becuase:

I designed and developed the prototype system myself when I worked for VW/Audi R&D!!! :D

Preliminary test work was done between 2 test vehicles (Jetta and A3) that could communicate with each other as well as RSU (road side units) that were integrated into a handful of intersection traffic control areas systems.

In my original prototype the exact countdown of timing for red green and yellow lights was displayed, but we had to take into consideration safety issues with fools using the feature to drag race or cut through yellow lights so it has been tweaked to give just enough information to be useful but not so much as to be dangerous.

The wireless medium I used was a spectrum reserved specifically for automotive use called 802.11p.

My wireless communication system allowed for far FAR more features than just the simple traffic light info, but you'll have to wait and see what else we cooked up :P

hybridfarce - 9/25/2008 7:44:46 PM

+2 Boost

AutoEng,

Is 802.11p spectrum the same in the US as in Europe? And other parts of the world? Sounds like this spectrum is set aside for some real neat technologies.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 9/26/2008 7:36:58 AM

+1 Boost

Maindrianpace

What about the Atari : )

AutoEng - 9/26/2008 10:46:34 AM

+1 Boost

hybridfarce:

The 802.11p draft is still in development but last I heard the European Commission has set aside a similar 5.9Ghz band for automotive application.

I think they are aiming to simplify things by having the same automotive wireless standard across Europe and North America.