Audi’s connected sat nav aims to get drivers through on green

Audi has launched a feature to cut the time drivers have to wait at red traffic lights – and even avoid them all together.

Glosa – or Green Light Optimised Speed Advisory – lets certain cars communicate with traffic lights via their sat nav, using a dashboard display to show drivers what speed they need to be at to get to their next junction while the lights are still on green.

The system uses the distance to the lights, the area’s speed limits and timing plans for the traffic signals to calculate the speed recommendation. If the driver does hit a red light, the dash will display a ‘time to green’ countdown to let them know when it will change.

Currently compatible with traffic light systems in 13 areas of the USA, including Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco, Glosa is unlikely to be available in the UK any time soon, with little current investment in vehicle-to-infrastructure tech.

It’s expected to become standard in the future, though, on vehicles with autonomous technology – letting traffic management systems communicate directly with the car rather than relying on sensors to ‘read’ the signals in the way a human would do.

Audi says that in future the system could integrate with navigation routing and stop-start technology as well as other connected services.

Mark Del Rosso, president of Audi of America, said: “Audi is committed to moving America in many ways, including through the development of industry-leading connectivity and mobility solutions.

“Not only do vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies like Glosa benefit drivers today, they’re also the critical steps needed as we continue toward an automated future.”