Autobahn GmbH des Bundes is equipping its nine traffic control centres with a modern, modular operating system, thereby laying the foundations for the integration of future developments in automated driving. This will enable road users to reach their destinations even more safely and reliably. Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, and Anne Rethmann, Chief Financial Officer of Autobahn GmbH des Bundes, launched the roll-out of the new operating system on 21 July 2023 in Frankfurt am Main. Materna and TraffGo Road are supporting this pioneering project by providing key development services and contributing to various projects.
Materna and its subsidiary TraffGo Road have played a key role in the realisation of AutobahnOS through their work on its design and development, and are also responsible for operating the platform. AutobahnOS was developed on a modern service-oriented architecture. The system architecture is based on container technology, a Kubernetes platform and open-source components.
Both companies have already developed various applications for the new AutobahnOS and made them available on the platform. These include the NORA traffic management system, the MIA roadworks management system, and the strategy and corridor management system. Materna and TraffGo Road provide functional and technical designs, develop the applications and support their operation.
Promoting data economy
In the spirit of a data economy, a uniform, cross-application data model has been developed for AutobahnOS, which is shared by all applications running on it. For example, almost all applications in a traffic control centre require an initial supply of geodata. This data is made available centrally and in a consistent format via the platform. Connected applications subscribe to the data and refine it according to their specific purpose. Information obtained in this way can be made available to other users.
Anne Rethmann, Managing Director of Finance at Autobahn GmbH: “With AutobahnOS, the federal government’s Autobahn GmbH is capitalising on the opportunities offered by digitalisation. This powerful and standardised IT infrastructure, which is consistent across Germany, ensures that the data collected can be analysed and communicated in the traffic control centres. We will continue to develop Germany’s motorways into a digital, connected and automated transport system.”
Greater connectivity and fewer traffic jams
Until now, different operating systems have been used in the individual traffic control centres. Nationwide standardised systems are set to enable even better, intelligent traffic and roadworks management in future. One example of the benefits of the new operating system is corridor management – that is, supra-regional traffic control on the major motorway corridors between Germany’s major cities and conurbations. Already, traffic control centres in western and southern Germany are coordinating their traffic management strategies as part of a pilot scheme and issuing wide-area diversion recommendations with the aim of avoiding traffic jams and reducing journey times. In future, the northern and eastern metropolitan regions, as well as – in the long term – the transport axes of neighbouring European countries, will also be integrated into corridor management.
By the end of 2026, all traffic control centres are set to be operating using the AutobahnOS operating system and all available applications. Some applications are already in use at the traffic control centres, whilst others are still being tested or developed.
Materna and TraffGo Road will also provide technical, specialist and organisational support for the installation in further traffic control centres.
