CARMEL — Volkswagen is teaming up with Carmel to test new technology that is expected to provide insight on traffic flow and help with emergency response times.
The research project is the first of its kind of Volkswagen and will also use existing cameras, along with Volkswagen machine vision software, to analyze traffic patterns, such as parking.
"We are looking towards the future and through this project, we looked at various cities," Volkswagen's Neil Coghlan said. "We were looking for innovative cities and those interested in new technology and understanding how those would influence the future of their city, and Carmel has been interesting and exciting compared to many cities around the world."
Using cameras already in place around key Carmel intersections, the Volkswagen software will analyze traffic flow of cars and bicycles, pedestrian movement and other data like parking spot utilization to help city planners identify new trends in mobility and usage.
It can also provide an automated data snapshot of an intersection or street location, which could be helpful in the event of navigating a natural disaster.
Coghlan said one of the reasons Volkswagen chose Carmel is that its roundabouts and the way the city is set up are similar to what the company is used to in Europe.
The project is just kicking off, and Volkswagen officials said they should have an update in about six months on what they learned about the flow of traffic.
