February 2001
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February 2001 |
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A
Look at Advanced Vehicle Control Systems Research in
Europe |
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In Europe, Advanced Vehicle Control and Safety Systems (AVCSS) research and development is addressed both at the European level and the national level. This report addresses European-wide activities first, then national activities on a country-by-country basis. Notes that programs in
Europe are quite multi-faceted -- although we expect we've been fairly
comprehensive in this report, there may be yet other activities we didn't come
across in this phase of our research. |
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| Activity at the European Level | |
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European level work is performed through the sponsorship of the European Commission. The European Commission has defined a focus area called the Information Society Technologies Program (INFOSO). A stated objective of this focus area is to "build the mobile society within the information society," and in-vehicle systems are addressed accordingly. Another EC focus area is Transportation
and Environment (TREN), which takes a big-picture approach to assessing the
benefits of particular transport technologies -- some believe that significant
work in automated highway systems, for instance, would emerge from this area. Currently, INFOSO is most active in the area of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), defined as a combination of telematics and vehicle control systems that assist drivers and reduce driver error rates. Telematics is a broad term used to refer to any means of enabling information flow to the vehicle from external sources. A fundamental principle of ADAS is that the driver remains responsible for the vehicle at all times and can override any automatic controls. The critical applied technologies that fall under the European ADAS umbrella are:
[back to Europe Level Activities] Predecessor work in Europe that directly underpins today's programs was done under the EC's "Fourth Framework" research and development program, which ran from 1994-1998. Most of these projects are now finished or nearly finished; some of the more important projects were as follows:
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Adaptive Cruise Control Lane Departure Warning Forward Collision Warning ACC Stop&Go Parking Assistant Road Departure Warning Blind Spot Monitoring ACC Stop&Go with lateral support Lane Change / Merge Assistant Rural Drive Assistant Crossing Assistant Urban Drive Assistant Trajectory Calculation
Automated Driving |
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[back to Europe Level Activities] Best on ASHEA and other 4th Framework Results, the 5th Framework Program was launched in 1998 and runs through 2002. Overall areas of focus are:
Projects are awarded based on proposal "calls" which are opened approximately every year. A new call for proposals will open in June 2001. Based on previous calls, key ADAS 5th Framework Programs already underway are:
Additionally, the eEurope
2002 program has been defined, which
has Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) as one of ten action areas focused
on "an Information Society for All."
The ITS element includes a goal to have active safety systems in all new
vehicles. An eEurope ITS chapter is
being inititated, to kick-start new solutions and accelerate R&D and
deployment. More information about EC
programs can be found at http://www.cordis.lu/en/home.html;
point to "European Union Funded Research," then click on
"Promoting a User-Friendly Information Society." |
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| Activity at the National Level | |
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La Route Automatisée La
Route Automatisée (LaRA)
focuses on the evolution of ADAS towards fully automated driving.
Recent work has focused on a deployment path study conducted for the
"suburban" scenario, one of four RA scenarios (the other three are
rural, trucking, and long distance inter-city). Four
phases have been defined: >Phase
1 (Low Speed Automation) Phase
1 introduces completely automated driving at low speeds for light vehicles in
certain network sections -- the aim is to improve comfort in congested sections.
LSA would operate on designated lanes, but mixed with manual traffic. Typical speeds would be 40 - 60 km/hr. Low speed automation is seen as a natural convergence of
perception and control products. Simultaneously,
in Phase 1, various active safety warning systems become available.
>Phase
2 (Dedicated Lanes) In
this phase, dedicated lanes (DLs) are reserved for automated vehicles, when
there are a high number of equipped vehicles (due to Phase 1).
"Reservations" are made on these dedicated lane facilities and
users gain higher safety and higher speed.
Here, travel times for automated vehicles are reduced, safety starts to
improve, and congestion starts to decrease.
Overall, interest is increased, which further stimulates deployment.
Also during this phase, the best warning systems are installed on all new
vehicles and active safety systems appear that incorporate vehicle control.
Safety and efficiency improves for the entire road network. >Phase
3 (Equipment Extension) This
phase sees the number of equipped cars and reserved lanes increase.
DLs form an automated network, with centralized control for speed and
vehicle-vehicle intervals. At the
same time, all new cars are equipped with active safety devices, and all cars are
equipped with warning systems. In
this phase, user benefits are extended to long distance travel, centralized
network control allows higher safety and capacity, and congestion reduction
provides environmental benefits. >Phase
4 (Generalisation) Here,
a high number of equipped vehicles exist, and all new highways are built for
automated travel. Automation is
available throughout the entire network. All
critical parts of the network are centrally controlled, resulting in the highest
benefits. Timeframes
for these phases are difficult to predict, but can be estimated as follows:
Automated
public transport, automated trucking, and automated vehicles in mixed traffic
without dedicated lanes, are other deployment scenarios which could proceed in
parallel. Driver
Support for Transit Buses The
CiViS system, which provides automatic lateral control for Bus Rapid
Transit and precision docking, is being installed in the French cities of
Claremont-Ferrand and Rouen. Systems
are expected to be in operation in 2001. [back to National Level Activities] INVENT This is a partnership between German auto companies (BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen) and the German Research Ministry to conduct advanced development of ADAS, in coordination with European programs. The advanced functions defined by ASHEA/ADASE (see above) are expected to be the main focus. INVENT has been recently established as the successor program to MOTIV, which ran during the late nineties. [back to National Level Activities] Automated
Vehicle Guidance The
Dutch Ministry of Transport has adopted a new National Traffic and
Transport Plan to accommodate safety and mobility growth. Automated Vehicle Guidance (AVG) trials are scheduled to
begin in 2001, with broader development of AVG ongoing between 2000-2005.
Plans call for trials of Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) with large
trucks during 2001 - 2003. While not yet funded, an Autonomous Speed
Assistant is proposed for 02-04, and an External Speed Assistant pilot for
02-07. Connekt The public-private Connekt organization has been established to develop AVG and perform pilots and demonstrations. Connekt is expected to focus on stop & go ACC, electronic coupling of vehicles, rural and urban road safety, automatic trains, and automated vehicles in urban traffic. Intelligent
Speed Adaptation An
Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) trial began in 1999 in the
town of Tilburg, using the approach that speed adjustments are automatic
(no driver involvement or choice). Twenty
cars are equipped for a one year test. Information
about the legal posted speed is stored in a geographical database, and the car
contains this database as well as a GPS receiver to establish its position.
There are no roadside elements in this version of the system.
Technical issues and user acceptance are being evaluated; also, impacts
on emissions, safety, and energy consumption. Dutch officials say that a
more advisory version of the system is likely to be deployed in the future. Transit A laterally guided bus system is being implemented for the city of Eindhoven. [back to National Level Activities] Intelligent
Speed Adaptation Sweden
is taking a worldwide lead in evaluation of the benefits of Intelligent Speed
Adaptation, with over 7000 vehicles currently participating in an operational
test. ISA is sponsored by the Swedish National Road Authority (SNRA),
who is investing $9M in the project, as part of a vision for achieving zero
traffic fatalities and injuries. During 1999-2002, cars are being equipped
with voluntary speed adaptation systems to help motorists keep to speed limits.
Systems are being deployed in four cities.
Two approaches are used -- the advisory system, in which the driver is
notified if his speed is too high, and an "active accelerator," in
which resistance is activated in the accelerator if the driver attempts to speed
up when his speed is at or above the speed limit.
The accelerator force can be over-ridden, if necessary.
For the road information, both digital maps / GPS are being used (three
cities), as well as roadside beacons using dedicated short range communications
(DSRC) -- at least in one city. [back to National Level Activities] Vision
2030 Sponsored
by the UK Highways Agency, Vision 2030 aims to identify a longer-term
vision for inter-urban transport, using the approach of transferring control of
the vehicles from the driver to an infrastructure-linked control system
(automated highway) to optimize operation and manage access. Foresight
Vehicle The UK's Foresight Vehicle program (supported by the Department of Trade and Industry) works with the domestic auto industry to perform product-oriented and longer term R&D. One Foresight project in the AVCSS arena is called Future Antenna Technology for Cars and Trucks (FATCAT1), in which the feasibility and early designs of future antennas for vehicles has been examined. The project is examining 63 GHz antenna designs to enable vehicles to communicate with each other to form co-operative platoons, to use collision avoidance systems, and to alert drivers to maneuvers by other vehicles. The antenna designs are also expected to support vehicle-roadside communications. Challenges are to realize all-around coverage, handle safety-critical messaging, achieve low cost, and conform to car styling. The project has so far succeeded in identifying candidate antenna designs and work is continuing for FATCAT2. Further information can be found at www.foresightvehicle.org.uk. Intelligent
Speed Adaptation Various versions of Intelligent Speed Adaptation systems are being studied and tested. Regarding ISA benefits, UK studies have shown substantial predicted accident reductions for fixed speed systems, variable speed systems (which change depending on geography), and dynamic systems (which adjust speeds based on actual current traffic conditions). Benefits were greatest for dynamic systems with mandatory speed control. Based on trials, mandatory ISA seems to be particularly effective in reducing speed on highways as vehicles pass through villages. Research indicates that speed limiters are generally acceptable to the public, especially to residents, and that speed limiters appear to be the most effective way to control speed. Using GPS combined with a digital map which includes speed limit information, an infrastructure-independent ISA system has also been examined. However, this approach can only provide fixed speed limits. Research to date indicates that, with infrastructure assistance to provide speed limits based on current weather and traffic conditions, the greatest benefits can be gained. New pilots for a second stage of research are now beginning. [back to National Level Activities] [Top] |
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Copyright 2001: IVsource.net and Richard Bishop Consulting (RBC). All Rights Reserved. |
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February 2001 |