Fleetnet: Bringing Car-to-car Communication into the Real World

Car-to-car communication by means of wireless technology shows a strong potential to enhance both safety and comfort of road users. The necessity to reach cars beyond the transmission range of the own radio creates the challenge to find algorithms to efficiently forward packets. In these so-called vehicular ad hoc networks, position information has been identified as a crucial component that alleviates some of the limitations of existing topology-based protocols. Thus, we see the use of positional information at the core of a car-to-car communication system that provides advanced applications for active safety, distributed floating car data, as well as user communication and information. A major thrust to leverage a car-to-car communication platform was provided by the FleetNet project, partly funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research BMB+F and led by DaimlerChrysler AG. Based on ad-hoc networking principles and the availability of position information, the project developed suitable communication concepts. In addition to simulation studies, a prototype communication and application system was implemented and deployed, embedding safety and convenience applications. With car-based real world field trials successfully conducted, first results and experiences look promising. 1 Car-to-Car Communication as the Key to Safety For drivers of vehicles, information about their immediate vicinity is crucial for being able to drive safely. So far most information is gathered by direct visual observation and in response to sounds. Some enhanced information on road conditions is available via radio warning, and navigation support is also becoming state-of-the-art. Recent strategies to improve the driver’s safety are the BMW Connected Drive [2] initiative, the Vision of Accident-Free Driving by † Project FleetNet, www.fleetnet.de, under grant BMBF 01AK025 Proceedings of the 11th World Congress on ITS, Nagoya, Japan, October 2004