Pushing without punishment

Pushing without punishment

Falling short of the safety distance by driving too close to the vehicle in front is considered coercion and is punishable by law. However, from the perspective of the energy efficiency of car traffic, driving in the slipstream offers enormous fuel and energy saving potential and is therefore desirable from this perspective. The developers of autonomous vehicles therefore want to make so-called “platooning” technically possible through the use of sensors and wireless communication technologies. The aim is to electronically network several vehicles driving one behind the other in order to improve safety and efficiency in road traffic.

In Upper Austria, various institutions are now working on the “pDrive” project, which pays particular attention to tracking the platoon leader in a lateral direction. Common lane keeping algorithms are used and scenarios are examined in which no road markings can be used and longitudinal and lateral guidance is based solely on the lead vehicle. What is crucial is to establish a secure communication channel between the vehicles. This can prevent communication with the wrong vehicle nearby by mistake or through manipulation by a third party.  The project partners are the OÖ F&E GmbH University of Applied Sciences in Wels, the Johannes Kepler University in Linz as well as Digitrans GmbH and Windpuls GmH, both also in Linz. The project, recognized as worthy of funding as part of the “Future Mobility” call for proposals, is budgeted at 960,000 euros and is funded at 83 percent. “The future of mobility is being decided now, and Upper Austria’s suppliers are positioning themselves as innovative technology partners,” says Economics and Research State Councilor Markus Achleitner.