"Telematics is an artificial word from the terms of telecommunications and computer science. In the transport sector, telematics (traffic telematics, ITS: Intelligent Transportation Systems) is used to make traffic flows more efficient, to increase traffic safety, to reduce traffic-related environmental pollution and to increase comfort or to optimize operational processes." (BMVI)

Summary

Interdisciplinarity – this keyword describes Forschungsgruppe Verkehrstelematik (FGVT) best. When it was founded in 2004 by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Wieker , communication systems between vehicles, so-called vehicle-to-vehicle communication (Vehicle-to-Vehicle, V2V) was the focus of work. Vehicles exchange warnings about poor road conditions (“iced road”) or the well-known “traffic jam end behind curve” for example. By extending the information horizon of the driver, this contributes to increasing traffic safety, but also increases traffic efficiency. Shortly after its foundation, the focus of the FGVT shifted from V2V-communication to communication between vehicles and the transport infrastructure (both together are referred to as Vehicle-to-X, V2X).

In addition to communication expertise in transportation traffic systems (ITS), electromobility and automated driving, the research group is characterized by its interdisciplinary mobility competence. Current projects and research efforts extend the current technical focus to sociological and economic, psychological and energy economic aspects, so that the interdisciplinarity is further strengthened. Whereas primarily technical solutions for subproblems were previously developed, the focus is now on the consideration of effects on the population and the resulting questions.

The research group generally deals with comprehensive information and communication architectures. Several projects are currently being worked on on this topic. In the past, extensive projects such as simTD and CONVERGE were realized in cooperation with well-known research institutions and automobile manufacturers. In addition to research, the FGVT is actively involved in the “Car 2 Car Communication Consortium” (C2C-CC) as well as within standardization at ETSI.

The research group has set itself the goal of making road traffic in Europe safer and more efficient.

The research group of htw saar has many years of experience in acquiring and managing federal and EU projects. The research fields of the FGVT developed from pure technology research to impact-centered research. Previously, the development of new algorithms and protocols was in the foreground, it is today the solution of problems in the mobility sector through information and communication technologies.

In addition to this communication-informatics competence in the area of ​​ITS, electromobility and autonomous driving, the research group is characterized above all by its traffic and economic competence. Current projects and research efforts are broadening these to include socio-technological, technological, psychological and energy-economic aspects, so that transdisciplinarity and the ability to coordinate transversal projects have become the strengths of the FGVT.