BMW’s AI-managed road to increase efficiency

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Competing with four-wheelers in crowded megacities is hard for two-wheelers such as bicycles and scooters because most of the transportation infrastructure is designed for cars.

A collaborative project by BMW Group Technology Office China and Shanghai’s Tongji University was unveiled earlier this month to increase transportation efficiency and reduce pollution in big cities.

Named “BMW Vision E³ Way”, the project is to build roads atop of existing ones that are only open to electrically powered two-wheel vehicles to prevent collisions with cars.

These elevated roads can not only create exclusive paths for vehicles like bikes, but also ease the traffic pressure on normal roads in big cities.

The BMW Vision E³ Way is aiming at commuters traveling up to 15 kilometers. /Photo via BMW

“Traffic flow is permanently optimized by means of automated video surveillance systems and artificial intelligence (AI) as well as through the integration of smart city ecosystems,” BMW said in a press release.

According to the company, the new traffic network is connected to regular roads by ramp and sluice systems, so people can go directly from the elevated roads to public spots like underground stations and shopping malls.

The Vision E³ Way, which aims at commuters traveling up to 15 kilometers, is equipped with a rainwater-powered cooling system that can adjust the temperature inside tunnel sections and clean the road surface at night.

For people who don’t possess a vehicle, rentals would be available at access points across the network.

BMW said the project could encourage more middle-class users onto e-bikes and be promoted as a tourist attraction with bridge sections fitted with viewing areas for sight-seeing, Automotive News reported.