On July 23rd, 2024, representatives from the AI4CSM project - Jakob Reckenzaun and Gerhard Dorn from Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH, alongside Moritz Schaffenroth and Martin Fischer from The Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden, met with Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Feigl, Head of the Department for Transport at the City of Graz, Austria. The meeting provided a “reality check” for autonomous driving technologies and how they could shape the future of urban mobility in Graz.
The primary focus of the discussion revolved around the latest results from the AI4CSM project, which include groundbreaking developments in autonomous robotaxis, cloud-based ride-sharing platforms, and the establishment of standards for mobility data and exchange, such as openDRIVE. These innovations aim to enhance urban mobility efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability, aligning with the broader goals of European smart city initiatives.
With Graz in the process of shaping its Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) 2040, city planners are gathering input from various stakeholders to define future mobility concepts. This meeting allowed both parties to examine how AI-driven autonomous driving solutions could contribute to the city's long-term vision of sustainable urban mobility. The discussion highlighted the potential for robotaxi fleets to reduce congestion, the role of cloud-based ride-sharing systems in improving public transport networks, and the need for standardizing mobility data to enable seamless integration of autonomous vehicles into existing infrastructure.