Gadgets and gizmos

While you may not have heard of the Travolution yet it seems as though it could be a common occurrence in many cars of the future. The device was developed by Audi and is currently in field trials to see if it is safe in all types of traffic flow. So what exactly does it do?

The Travolution is a device which is fitted into your car and can communicate with traffic lights further down the road, estimate when they will be turning to green and tell you what speed you need to drive at to avoid stopping your car. The idea is that the fewer cars which have to stop and start at traffic lights, the less pollution of the environment and the more fuel efficient motor vehicles will become.

The device has been well received by governments, motoring organisations and green campaigners around the world but there is just one concern which needs to be addressed. Will the device have the potential to cause traffic jams and potential accidents if the flow of traffic behind is slowed to an unacceptable pace?

The concept is great, the product seems to work but there is a need to ensure it is safe to use on the roads before it goes into mass production.