5G creates new possibilities for connected mobility

5G, the fifth generation of mobile communications, brings new opportunities and possibilities. The "5GoIng" project, which started in December, uses the mobile radio standard to break new ground in the field of connected mobility. The starting point is the urban test field for automated driving "First Mile" with the In²Lab, which connects the "Digital Test Field Motorway" on the A9 with the IN Campus. "5GoIng" expands the test field to include a roundabout at the IN Campus and uses the new technical possibilities of 5G mobile communications.

Christian Facchi, Professor of Embedded and Networked Systems at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI), is one of the project partners involved in "5GoIng" on the THI side, along with Prof. Dr. Andreas Festag, Professor of Vehicle Safety and Car2X Communication, and Prof. Dr. Stefanie Schmidtner, Professor of Sustainable Urban Development and Artificial Intelligence, and explains: "We are equipping the roundabout with infrastructure and sensor technology to improve traffic guidance for autonomous driving." The central element here is vehicle communication, namely that of the vehicles with each other as well as with the infrastructure. The goal is to achieve an optimisation of traffic flow. "It's about more throughput, but also more safety," says Prof. Dr. Christian Facchi. The more efficient the threading into the roundabout, the smaller the gap between vehicles and the shorter the time window. This means that the overall situation becomes less safe. This is where 5G technology comes in.

The fact that researchers and scientists are concerned about improving traffic flow is nothing new. Roundabouts in particular are a challenge for autonomously driving cars because they represent a complex traffic situation. However, the new mobile radio standard now brings new possibilities. Signal transmission becomes faster, more data can be transmitted and processing can now be done closer to the base.

Over the next two years, the "5GoIng" project will try to increase traffic safety in roundabouts without reducing throughput. . The project consortium consists of THI, Fraunhofer IVI with the application centre in Ingolstadt, the city of Ingolstadt with the business development IFG, Liangdao and ZERO GmbH and is strengthened by associated partners such as CARIAD. "5GoIng" runs until the end of 2023 with a total volume of 4.2 million euros and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVD).