Abbingwehrer Ortskümmerer calls for self-driving buses to be provided to villagers – this is what the science says

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Emden – For some, this is the bright future: autonomous driving – it offers the opportunity to remain individual without significant physical effort. On the other hand, others are skeptical about driving a car without doing anything – they claim that too much is done for people and that only artificial intelligence decides the well-being of passengers. Whichever side you're on: Autonomous driving is an exciting area of ​​scientific research. Finally, Heinrich Hallwas, the local caretaker of Abgenguer, called for his village to serve as a model area for self-driving. Similar to Hamburg – where self-driving buses from provider Moia will take people from point A to point B from 2025 – Hallwaß envisions self-driving buses simplifying the lives of village residents. Hallwas suggested that Volkswagen could study the practicality of this business model in Abengwer.

Research into autonomous driving is also being conducted in Emden

“It is quite possible and interesting to study something like this as a model in rural areas,” says Prof. Dr. Carsten Koch from Emden University. In recent years, he has conducted research on intelligent verification of driver assistance systems and will lecture on the topic of deep learning next semester. This describes the ability of artificial intelligence to develop options for action using different sensors. For example, deep learning allows computers to interpret very complex camera images very quickly, something that would not have been possible just a few years ago. Understandably, this is an exciting topic when it comes to autonomous driving. “Currently, a lot in this field revolves around the question of how a fully automated or autonomous vehicle interacts with other human road users,” says Prof. Dr. He cooks. What he means by that: How should a self-driving car behave if you drive too fast or ignore other traffic rules?

Low speed is an advantage

This as-yet-unresolved question would cause problems for the typical experiment in the Hinteran village of Abenguer. “In small cities with lots of street signs, intersections and other variables, a self-driving car has a much harder time than driving on a two-lane highway and a constant flow of traffic”; Explains the world. However, this would not make the typical project completely impossible. “For example, if buses were not allowed to drive so fast, it would be easier,” Koch says. However, there is another factor that can complicate the project. “The technology is still expensive at the moment. We must first see whether self-driving buses can be economically viable,” says Koch.