Digitalization: Autonomous Driving Test Field Opened in Karlsruhe

The Autonomous Driving Test Field Baden-Württemberg has officially begun operations. Deputy Prime Minister Thomas Strobl and Transport Minister Winfried Hermann launched the project in Karlsruhe. From now on, the Karlsruhe Transport Association will operate the test field. A five-month trial operation preceded its inauguration. The so-called TAF-BW is a joint project of Baden-Württemberg's research institutions, municipalities, and the state government. On the occasion of the opening, renowned vehicle manufacturers and research institutions presented their vehicles and innovative vehicle systems on the topic of autonomous driving. "Mobility is being reinvented right now. And Baden-Württemberg is at the forefront," explained Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Interior, Digitalization, and Migration, Thomas Strobl. He also referred to the birthday of Baden-Württemberg's automobile pioneer Bertha Benz. "We were pioneers in engine development, the heart of the automobile. We want to and will be pioneers in the digital age, too. The auto-automobile is the future of Baden-Württemberg," Strobl predicted.

Gaining Experience with the "Auto-Auto"

His cabinet colleague and Transport Minister Winfried Hermann expressed himself "very happy that after the federal government canceled, we managed to set up our own test field as a state without federal subsidies". He is curious about what will be demanded on the test field and what insights will be gained. "I am interested in the traffic and ecological effects. This starts with the possible change in future traffic volumes in passenger and freight transport and the choice of transport modes towards a possible autonomous public transport system with small buses in door-to-door operation, continues with questions of road law, vehicle registration, data protection, user acceptance, and ethical issues up to economic efficiency and urban planning changes," explained the Transport Minister.

FZI Board Member and KIT Professor J. Marius Zöllner described the infrastructure of the test field. "Already today, the technical possibilities are diverse. In research institutions, groundbreaking technologies for autonomous driving are being developed, which now need to be established in new applications. However, this can only happen if they can be tested under realistic conditions," noted the scientist. An important aspect of TAF BW is the testing of new forms of public transport. Also, the topics of data protection and last-mile traffic are to be tested. For the latter, the so-called eFEU campus was founded in the city of Bruchsal to bundle the efforts.

On the Autonomous Driving Test Field Baden-Württemberg (TAF-BW), companies and research institutions can test future-oriented technologies and services related to connected and automated driving in everyday traffic, such as automated driving of cars, buses, or commercial vehicles like street cleaning or delivery services. Additionally, regulatory and legal frameworks can be further developed. During the setup phase, various traffic areas were prepared, highly accurate 3D maps were created, and sensors for real-time traffic monitoring and its influencing factors were installed. For the conception, planning, and construction of the test field, the leading Ministry of Transport provided 2.5 million euros, with an additional 2.5 million euros coming from the joint "smart mobility" project of the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Transport.

What Does This Mean?

The state does it itself: After the federal government, as BW Transport Minister Hermann pointedly remarked, did not want to participate in the funding, Baden-Württemberg combined the collective know-how from municipalities, industry, and research and within two years created an exciting test field that goes far beyond the less complex requirements of the Digital Test Field Highway on the A9 in Bavaria - a locally motivated prestige project of former CSU Transport Minister Dobrindt. It will be interesting to see what insights the Swabians will gain with the "auto-automobile" 130 years after inventing the automobile.