Bosch offers traffic jam assistant for Doha roads

TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK

DOHA THE stress and frustration associated with being caught in any of dozens of traffic jams on Qatar’s roads for motorists will soon be a fleeting memory, as a new driver assistance system undergoes its final preparations for a global launch.

Bosch, a leading international supplier of automotive technology and services is currently laying the remaining groundwork for its pioneering Traffic Jam Assistant system, a software programme that can guide vehicles through highway traffic jams.

The new system, which is set to begin production in 2014, will brake, accelerate, and steer completely autonomously, at speeds up to 50 kilometres per hour, meaning it will operate in most stop-and-go situations.

Guido Gring, Vice President of Bosch Automotive Aftermarket, Middle East and Africa said that the new Traffic Jam Assistant will be a huge step forward for fully autonomous driving on Middle East roads, whilst also significantly easing stressful and potentially dangerous road rage situations on Qatar’s roads.

“Imagine you are stuck in a traffic jam on one of Doha’s busiest roads, or any other tailback in the Middle East, on your daily commute home from work, with at least another hour on the tarmac separating you from the comfort of your couch and family,” said Gring. “You are thinking to yourself: ‘I wish I could just let my car drive me home’. Soon that wish will come true.

“The Traffic Jam Assistant is not only a smart innovation in the automotive industry, but also a life changing solution for millions of road users across the Middle East who will be able to arrive at their chosen destinations far more relaxed.” Today, adaptive cruise control (ACC) already tracks the vehicles ahead and adapts the distance and speed of the driver’s own vehicle accordingly.

The Traffic Jam Assistant will additionally integrate a lanedetection camera, and electric power steering. The next functional step will include automatic lane changing.

This requires two additional features – a rear-mounted radar sensor and a dynamic navigation map.