BMW Group at the Innovative Mobility Showcase in San Francisco - Intelligent data acquisition improves active safety and mobility

San Francisco/Munich. At the 12th International Congress on Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS Congress) in San Francisco, BMW will present a
research system that enables vehicles to record and transmit information on the
current weather and traffic situation. As part of the first Innovative Mobility
Showcase (IMS), which takes place from 6th to 9th November in parallel with the
ITS Congress, BMW will be showing three research vehicles equipped with the
"Extended Floating Car Data System" (XFCD). The Innovative Mobility Showcase
offers congress participants the possibility of actively trying out the latest
ITS technologies to be implemented.

On a special test track at "SBC Park", the following situation will be
demonstrated: a vehicle hits a slippery surface, processes the information in a
matter of seconds and warns the following car in real time. The same
information is simultaneously transmitted to a control centre where it is
statistically processed. Information obtained by XFCD vehicles regarding the
traffic situation on the public road network can then be viewed on websites by
IMS participants.

Improved information for enhanced safety.
Extended traffic-related information provided through XFCD will in future allow
for even more accurate processing of information than the "Floating Car Data"
system (FCD). Using FCD, cars are currently already able to send their location
details and journey times to a control centre which then compares this data
with that received from other FCD vehicles and further traffic data sources in
order to identify congestion on the roads. Using XFCD, vehicles are able to
assess the respective traffic situation themselves by directly evaluating all
the car data available. For example, the car would immediately recognise local
hazards such as black ice or aquaplaning, as well being able to assess the
traffic situation at any given time. It would then pass this information on to
a traffic control centre and could simultaneously warn other affected vehicles
in the vicinity through car-to-car communication, thus contributing to an even
more rapid and direct information flow.
Intelligent use of existing data.
There is no need for any additional hardware to be integrated into the car for
the new data gathering system. XFCD works on the basis of existing vehicle
architecture and merely has to be supplemented by software programs. In a
modern car, there is a great deal more data available from the vehicle's system
beyond information on road speed. The introduction of modern on-board networks
bundles a broad spectrum of available data that can be used to glean
information on the traffic situation, road conditions and prevailing weather.
This includes information on the use of high or low beam, foglamps, outside
thermometer and air-conditioning, brakes, navigation system, rain sensor,
windscreen wipers and more besides. The data is processed within the car to
produce messages on any incidents, traffic flow and road conditions. From this,
conclusions can be drawn as to possible congestion and hazards such as heavy
rain, aquaplaning, black ice, poor visibility or fog. For example, the
intervention of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) in conjunction with a low
outdoor temperature, active windscreen wiper and relatively slow road speed
would point towards a localised danger of skidding caused by black ice or oil.

Cars in conversation.
A major advantage of XFCD is the possibility of sending all messages directly
to other vehicles. The information is sent straight to all affected vehicles in
the vicinity using so-called ad-hoc networks. Depending on the situation, each
vehicle takes on the role of sender, receiver or relayer. The advantage: ad-hoc
networks are able to organise themselves and, thanks to the "multihopping"
process, in principle have an unlimited range and require no infrastructure
whatsoever.

BMW ConnectedDrive.
Within the BMW Group, XFCD forms part of the BMW ConnectedDrive concept. The
underlying idea here is to link up driver, vehicle and surroundings by means of
telematics, online and driver assistance systems - on the road towards
fulfilling the vision of safe and congestion-free driving.