WILLWARN

Wireless Local Danger Warning
May 2005 - December 2005

Objectives

Within the PReVENT Integrated Project, the three-year WILLWARN subproject develops, integrates and validates a safety application that warns the driver whenever a safety related critical situation occurs even if it happens far away from the drivers field of view. The objectives include the development of on-board hazard detection, in-car warning management, and decentralised warning distribution by communication between vehicles on a road network. Positioning, relevance checks, message transport, and onboard message evaluation will enable a high benefit for the driver even with low equipment rates.

Challenges

The main challenge for WILLWARN is to enhance the drivers’ line of sight by the use of communication. The interchange of information between cars is a first step to cooperative driving and this will open a new chapter in the story of vehicle safety. A system design that enables high benefit for the user even, when the roll-out starts at low equipment rates is as well the key for a successful market start as the use of cheap and simple equipment from the shelf.

Key Concepts

Key issues of WILLWARN include:

Improved safety through car to car and car to infrastructure communication
High benefit for the user even at low equipment rates using cars as relays for transporting messages in a road network
Design of a basic system at low cost

WILLWARN will cover the following scenarios:

Detection and warning of obstacles on the road, warning if the own car is an obstacle for others
Warning of emergency vehicles or slow vehicles
Detection of reduced friction or reduced visibility through bad weather
Warning of dangerous spots like construction zones through electronic beacons

Partners

DaimlerChrysler, Germany
TNO, Netherlands
BMW Forschung Und Technik, Germany
Philips, Netherlands
National Technical University of Athens, Greece
CNRS - Ile De France Est, France
HTW Forgis, Germany