Real world testing

The shores of Tai Hu, China’s third largest freshwater lake, are bustling with activity. Well over six million people live and work in the up-and-coming metropolis of Wuxi, between an 88-metre-high Buddha statue, historic buildings, and numerous fine-dining restaurants. Among experts, however, Wuxi is also a synonym for IoT – the Internet of Things – and a model for smart cities. This is where Audi China is testing connected driving in conjunction with connected infrastructure. A few weeks ago, Audi went one step further and sent a converted Audi Q8 out onto the road, marking the world’s first demonstration of autonomous driving on public roads with V2X communication.

V2X stands for ‘vehicle-to-everything’ and enables vehicles to connect directly with each other, with the surrounding infrastructure and with other road users. This functionality is essential for fully autonomous driving, particularly when it comes to road safety. For example, the vehicle brakes automatically in response to other vehicles and pedestrians that drivers do not see. In addition, it automatically avoids approaching emergency vehicles and uses the vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) ‘traffic light information' service.

“Audi has made a quantum leap forward with its IoV (Internet of Vehicles) technologies. Here in China, we have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to test these technologies on the road and present them to the public,” says Michael Hofmann, Audi China’s Executive Vice President R&D. “Not only are we testing Level 4 fully autonomous driving with V2X signals on public roads for the first time in the world, but we are also using IoV technology to actually input data into the vehicle’s autonomous driving system for the first time.”

At the World Internet of Things Exposition 2021 in Wuxi, Audi also presented its patented V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) and V2P (vehicle-to-pedestrian) technologies, which are currently being tested for the first time along a 6.5 kilometre stretch of road. Thanks to V2P, vehicles are able to brake to avoid a collision with hidden pedestrians and experts believe that technological advances will help reduce these kinds of accidents. Another patented V2P technology from Audi, for example, warns cyclists approaching the vehicle from behind, helping to prevent accidental collisions when opening the doors.

In China, Audi also presented other V2I technologies currently under development. Restricted access warnings allow drivers to intervene early to change their route and therefore help reduce traffic congestion. Another V2I-based warning alerts drivers of objects on the road, enabling them to take evasive action in a timely manner. The technology helps prevent accidents by providing real-time road condition and safety information to the vehicle.

In the future, new production models for the Chinese market such as the Audi A7 L and Audi A6 L will have a wireless module on board that supports both 5G and C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) technology, with additional models to follow. Features include the Audi Traffic Light Information (TLI) system as well as Audi Local Hazard Information (LHI) and Local Hazard Warning (LHW) functions.

Audi's traffic light information makes use of the Green Light Optimised Speed Advisory (GLOSA) and time-to-green functions. The technologies help make the ride as smooth as possible and save energy because drivers have to slow down and accelerate less. GLOSA also calculates the ideal speed to catch a ‘green wave' through the city – something the Audi brand has been trialling with considerable success in Germany.