A car detects a hazardous situation and reacts appropriately without any intervention of the driver. This may seem to be an impossible scenario right now, however, it may well become reality in future: Developing such vehicles is the objective of the collaborative Research Center 28: Cognitive Automobiles.

On January 1st 2006, the German Research Foundation (DFG) started this collaborative research centre. It is intended to last for twelve years. The University of Karlsruhe, the Technische Universitaet München, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (IITB in Karlsruhe) as well as the Universitaet der Bundeswehr Neubiberg are working together in this collaborative research center.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Stiller, head of the "Institut für Mess- und Regelungstechnik" at Universitaet Karlsruhe, serves as the speaker. He is supported by the members of the board: Prof. Dr. -Ing. Georg Faerber, head of the "Lehrstuhl für Realzeit Computersysteme" at TU München, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Wünsche, head of the "Lehrstuhl für Technik autonomer Systeme" at Universitaet der Bundeswehr Neubiberg, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Beyerer, head of the "Fraunhofer Institut für Informations- und Datenverarbeitung (IITB)" in Karlsruhe. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Diepold, head of "Lehrstuhl für Datenverarbeitung" at TU München, serves as managing director.

The engineers and computer scientists, working on the project, develop new methods for machine perception which may serve as the basis for sensible machine behaviour. Thus, automobiles shall be able to correctly interpret a complex situation in traffic and to act accordingly. Individual as well as cooperative perception and action shall be possible. "Cognitive Automobiles" are safer, drive more economically and thus may create a technological advantage of the german automobile industry in international competition.