FUTURE VEHICLESInternet, Ergonomics and Standardization to
Drive Traffic Telematics HILDESHEIM, GERMANY (July 24, 2006) - Technologies designed to provide better traffic control are now urgently needed on the streets and in vehicles. And they could and should be implemented more rapidly, says Dr. Uwe Thomas, president of Bosch subsidiary Blaupunkt. Speaking on the potential of traffic telematics during the recent Third German Telematics Forum in Berlin, Thomas discussed current and future telematics devices and called for "a taste for more and more consistent implementation of traffic telematics." He pointed out a number of the benefits that telematics-based traffic systems have to offer:
* Increased vehicle efficiency.
* The systematic enhancement of traffic flow.
* Enhanced safety provided by early warnings to possible dangers.
* Environmental protection to toxic emissions and traffic noise.
* Quicker and more up-to-date traffic information through improved navigation systems. According to Thomas, today's traffic conditions can be improved by integrating the Internet into traffic telematics, accelerating traffic information updates to drivers. The solution to the easy operation and management of the information lies in ergonomics and standardization of interfaces. "We have to push ahead with the integration of traffic telematics applications and driver-assistance functions," Thomas told the audience. "The growing diversity of traffic telematics and vehicle-specific information will have a definite impact on the driver's workplace." That's why it is necessary, despite all this additional information, to design systems that remain easy to operate. Convenient, user-friendly traffic telematics terminal units that use intuitive, easy-to-understand interfaces can reduce the stress and strain on the driver in absorbing information on road conditions or traffic problems. Thomas sees a bright future for heads-up displays that project information onto the windshield, right into the driver's primary range of vision. There is no need for the driver to take his or her eyes off the road. "This makes it possible for the driver to assimilate this traffic information quickly and safely," he said. In addition to improved operating ergonomics, Thomas also believes that a broadly based standardization of basic traffic telematics functions and interfaces will be required soon - in both the infrastructure as well as in the terminal units. Until now, manufacturer-specific solutions have been given preference. Thomas said that there is no shortage of technical ideas on the topic of telematics; what is lacking, however, are business models that allow a collective added value. "Once we have that, traffic telematics can become a success on the streets and in vehicles," he stressed.
(Source: Blaupunkt) 
