FZI Presented Progress in Autonomous Driving to Minister Hermann
Baden Württemberg's Transport Minister learned about mobility concepts ranging from shuttles for local public transport to bicycle simulators.
On August 26, 2024, the Minister of Transport of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Hermann, came to the FZI in Karlsruhe. The visit focused on innovative technologies and research approaches relating to the future of mobility. The journey took place in the FZI test vehicle CoCar NextGen, which drove the minister autonomously through the streets of Karlsruhe.
On arrival at the FZI, Jan Wiesenberger and Professor Marius Zöllner, Executive Directors of the FZI, welcomed Minister Hermann and gave him a comprehensive insight into the institute’s current research topics, including mobility, digital healthcare, participation, disinformation, and polarization. Specific projects and developments were presented to the Minister in several presentations.
Scaling of automated vehicle fleets
Professor Eric Sax, Scientific Director at the FZI, presented the scaling of automated and connected vehicles (AVF) in various application fields. One focus was on the platooning of city buses and the vehicle communication. The focus was also on scaling through large People Movers and regional research networking in the mobility sector. A demonstrator in the form of the FZI shuttle rounded off the presentation.
Cooperation in the Karlsruhe region
Professor Alexander Pischon, Managing Director of the Karlsruhe Transport Authority (KVV), and Professor Marius Zöllner, Executive Director at the FZI, highlighted the successful collaboration between research and the Karlsruhe region. In particular, the discussion involved innovative approaches for the “last mile” in freight and passenger transport and intermodal logistics solutions.
Significance of real laboratories for research
Dr. Alexander Viehl, Head of the Intelligent Systems and Production Engineering research division at the FZI, explained the role of real laboratories in the context of research projects. In particular, the AI Act sandbox regulation was discussed, enabling companies to test technologies under real conditions without immediately complying with all regulatory requirements. In this way, responsible innovation and the development of compliant AI systems are promoted.
Teleoperation and teleassistance in Public Transport
FZI Director Professor Barbara Deml presented concepts for the introduction of teleoperation and teleassistance in local public transport. The focus was on the integration of automated and networked vehicles in bus and streetcar transportation in order to offer citizens real added value. Monitoring by control centers should ensure safe application in real traffic.
Testing the FZI bicycle simulator
Finally, Minister Hermann tested the FZI bicycle simulator, which was developed as part of the DigiT4TAF project. As a cyclist, he was able to take part in the virtual traffic situation in the digital twin of the Test Area Autonomous Driving Baden-Württemberg and experience the challenges from the perspective of a vulnerable road user.
The visit by Transport Minister Hermann underlined the importance of research and innovation for the future of mobility.
About the FZI
The FZI Research Center for Information Technology, with headquarters in Karlsruhe and a branch office in Berlin, is a non-profit institution for information technology application research and technology transfer. It delivers the latest scientific findings in information technology to companies and public institutions and qualifies individuals for academic and business careers or the leap into self-employment. Supervised by professors from various faculties, the research groups at the FZI develop interdisciplinary concepts, software, hardware and system solutions for their clients and implement the solutions found as prototypes. The FZI House of Living Labs provides a unique research environment for application research. The FZI is an innovation partner of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and strategic partner of the German Informatics Society (GI).