Project C2CBridge2 launched
The FZI promotes automated mobility between rural and urban areas
Commuting from the countryside to the city is often tedious. Especially in rural areas, public transport does not offer an alternative to the private car. This is where the Country to City Bridge 2 (C2CBridge2) research project comes in. The aim is to create a reliable, efficient, sustainable mobility service linking rural and urban areas.
A particular focus is on new automated vehicle concepts. These include shared, autonomous, on-demand taxis that are flexible, safe, and accommodate different lifestyles, such as people with prams, wheelchairs, or luggage. At the same time, mobility hubs will be explored to enable convenient transfers to and from other modes of transport. Researchers are also evaluating both technical solutions and social acceptance.
FZI develops key technologies for connected driving
The FZI is actively involved in the technical design of the project. The focus is on research into connected and automated driving functions between urban and rural areas. The FZI is developing methods that enable autonomous vehicles to reliably exchange sensor data and thus create a common model of their environment. This cooperation will allow vehicles to react flexibly and cooperatively to changing conditions – on country roads, motorways, or city traffic.
A key component is communication via V2X technologies. This enables vehicles to exchange information directly with each other and with the traffic infrastructure. The developed systems will be tested under real conditions at the Test Area Autonomous Driving Baden-Württemberg in Karlsruhe. Thus, the FZI lays the foundations for the future use of autonomous ride-sharing vehicles in rural areas.
Working together on mobility solutions
The project is embedded in the German Center for Future Mobility (DZM) and is carried out in Karlsruhe, one of the four DZM locations. C2CBridge2 is part of a larger project: It builds on the findings of the first phase of the project, which are now being put into practice. The project was initiated by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and involves twelve institutes. Other consortium partners include the FZI Research Center for Information Technology, the Baden-Württemberg Institut für Nachhaltige Mobilität (Baden-Württemberg Institute for Sustainable Mobility) at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, and the Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB. Together, these Karlsruhe-based research institutions form the “KAMO: Karlsruhe Mobility” research cluster.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, which is providing €12.8 million in the second phase of the project.