In a first for the auto industry, Audi has joined with Las Vegas to tie the automaker's V2I (vehicle-to-information) system network to the city's traffic lights. There are lots of advantages, both agree.
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About 20 years ago, there was a movie called “The Fifth Element,” whose star Bruce Willis, and others, either rode or drove flying vehicles that were linked to the city’s traffic network. It was a nice bit of fantasy, then, right? It isn’t fantasy anymore.
The city of Las Vegas and Audi have begun working together to integrate the city’s traffic light system with 2017 Audi A4, Q7 and A4 allroad® models in the industry’s first application of V2I (Vehicle to Information) systems integration. The launch was announced jointly last week by Las Vegas and Audi.
Another Audi Connectivity First
“The launch of this technology is another in a long list of first for Audi that have positioned us as the industry leader in connectivity solutions,” Scott Keogh, Audi of America president, said in a statement. “V2I applications and services like Traffic Light Information are essential components as we continue to move toward an autonomous future. We applaud the innovative approach of Las Vegas in working with us on V2I as well as on our various piloted driving demonstrations over the past years.”
Audi’s Traffic Light Information, an Audi connect PRIME feature, enables the vehicles in which it is installed to communicate with the infrastructure in select cities and metropolitan areas across the U.S. Th car receives real-time signal information from the advanced traffic management system that monitors traffic lights via the on-bard 4G LTE data connection.
When the vehicle approaches a connected traffic light, Traffic Light Information displays the time remaining until the signal changes to green in the instrument cluster, as well as on the heads-up display (if the vehicle is equipped with one). Providing the driver with this additional information helps reduce stress and allows the driver to relax knowing about how much time remains before the light changes.
The “time-to-green” feature is the first to use the Audi Traffic Light Information Service. In the future, it may be possible to integrated information from advanced traffic management systems into:
- Vehicle start/stop features
- Navigation systems so routing can be optimized
- Predictive information such as speed recommendations so drivers can make a number – if not all – green lights in sequence
Each service would help improve efficiency, drive time or traffic management.
What Rolls Out In Las Vegas…
Traffic Light Information will launch this December in the U.S., beginning with the rollout in Las Vegas. It will be available to customers who have purchased A4, Q7 and A4 allroad® models built after June 1, 2016, equipped with an active Audi connect® PRIME subscription.
“The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is proud to be the first in the nation to connect our traffic signal network to vehicles through our collaboration with Audi," said Tina Quigley, RTC general manager. “This vehicle-to-infrastructure technology will help reduce congestion and enhance mobility on our already crowded roadways.”
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