3D Roads Help Reduce Vehicle CO2 Emissions

The University of Stuttgart, Germany, has selected Intermap´s 3D road geometry for the university's interdisciplinary research project VALIDATE - effective immediately. As part of the Germany federal government's high-tech strategy and IKT2020 research program, the University of Stuttgart initiated its VALIDATE research project in July 2008 with the goal of reducing vehicular CO₂ emissions.

The 3.7 million euro project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) through June 2011 - enabling the design of a powerful research platform that drives the analysis of benefits associated with future electronic control and assistance systems for motor vehicles.

The cornerstone of the VALIDATE project, in which several departments of the University of Stuttgart are participating, consists of building a driving simulator that will help develop intelligent driver assistance systems to increase fuel efficiencies and reduce CO₂ emissions. The driving simulator is planned to be taken into operation in early 2011.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Christian Reuss (director chair of automotive mechatronic), University of Stuttgart said, "A driving simulator is a safe and economical way to test new systems in a virtual environment using actual drivers. In particular, this research will focus on assistance systems that can create an indirect reduction in fuel consumption by influencing driving style. We are very pleased to be leveraging such good road coverage and accuracy in the form of Intermap 3D road data. This will certainly help us achieve useful results."