New autoMobility – The Future of Automated Road Transport and Traffic

What does automation mean for the future of road transport and traffic?

Throughout every stage in the history of the industrial revolution, automation has meant using machines to perform certain jobs. Beginning with the invention of the power loom, automation has continued to develop right up to the present day, where it can be observed in phenomena such as the integration of robots within modern factories. Digitalisation is leading to rapid advances in vehicle automation. Electronic stability control, emergency brake assist, parking assist and adaptive cornering headlight and high beam systems are already becoming standard features on modern cars.

Thanks to advances in assistance systems and semi-automated and highly automated driving, vehicles are now taking over more and more tasks from human drivers. Fully automated vehicles and completely autonomous driving are becoming an increasingly realistic prospect. The automation of road transport and traffic can be divided into several different levels – not only in terms of the different levels of automated functionality in the vehicles themselves, but also in terms of the areas and regions where automated driving will be possible. The illustration below shows all of the automation levels recognised by the project group, as well as the specific automation levels that form the focus of its work.

What does digitalisation mean for the future of road transport and traffic?

Digitalisation refers to the spread of information technology into virtually every area of our lives. Billions upon billions of tiny computers are built into our infrastructure, machines, domestic appliances and everyday items. There are in the region of 150 such processors on board a modern mid-range car. Digitalisation is driven by the ability to connect to the Internet of Things, Data and Services.

The impact of digitalisation is also being felt in the mobility sector. Embedded systems are transforming vehicles – which until now had always been passive, externally controlled objects – into active entities that can communicate by themselves and are taking over more and more of the tasks involved in driving. Advances in the field of embedded systems coupled with the exponential growth in computer processing power are enabling dramatic progress in driver assistance system innovations, both technologically and economically. With their numerous sensors and actuators and in some cases hundreds of embedded systems, today’s cars are a prime example of cyber-physical systems.

Why the New autoMobility matters

Our mobility system is facing a number of major challenges. As global demand for mobility for both people and goods continues to grow, it is becoming ever more important to build a resource-efficient and climate-friendly mobility system. Noise emissions, pollution, congestion and road accidents are all becoming critical issues in our heavily built-up urban areas, while social inclusion is also increasingly important in an ageing society. The change in drive technology to electric mobility coupled with an intelligent, connected mix of mobility modes will make it possible for future road transport and traffic to be environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and attractive all at the same time.

The large number of projects around the world is indicative of the buzz currently surrounding this field. Within the mobility sector, the race for technology leadership and leading supplier status in automated vehicle systems and related smart services has now begun. Driverless private cars will start coming onto the market in the not too distant future. If Germany wishes to keep up with its global competitors, then industry, government and the public must decide on a course of action without delay. The “New autoMobility” project group is formulating a series of basic recommendations to this end.

Organisation and working methods

The project group comprises 43 members from over 30 organisations from industry, academia and civil society, who formulate recommendations in five working groups (see illustration).

The entire project group meets several times a year at regular intervals. The spokespersons discuss the working groups’ findings with the project leaders on a monthly or even weekly basis.

The project leader is Prof. Dr. Karsten Lemmer, Director of the Institute of Transportation Systems at our project partner the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The DLR also contributes its specific scientific expertise in this field.