AutoNet2030: towards fully automated driving systems
Motivation and objectives:
Triggered by the lack of convergence between sensor-based automation and cooperative V2X communications, the AutoNet2030 project researches and validates procedures and algorithms for 802.11p-based interaction control among co-operative (automated and manually-driven) vehicles focusing on:
• Cooperative decentralised control system to realise the coordination of fully-automated vehicles and drive the advised maneuvering of manually-driven vehicles.
• V2X-message-based communications to (feed ETSI ITS standardization) and enable automated maneuver planning (e.g. lane merging) and traffic flow optimization.
• Onboard sensor-based architecture to enable reliable positioning and lane-keeping automation.
Work undertaken:
The project has specified and developed cooperative maneuvering control algorithms and procedures for information sharing. It has also specified standardized enhancements to existing cooperative communication protocol standards. It has developed perception processing modules, distributed control algorithms, multi-source data fusion modules and adequate HMI for advised maneuvering. Currently, the vehicle-integration and validation of modules is on-going targeting to the realistic field-tests (scheduled for late October 2016 in Sweden) where the AutoNet2030 system will be show-cased.
Expected results
• Demonstration of inherently safe cooperative maneuvering control algorithms
• Standardized use of 5.9 GHz V2X communications for automated driving
• Shape the path for cost-optimized and widely deployable vehicle automation
AutoNet2030 visibility and highlights:
• Dr. Florent Frederix (Principal Administrator, EC Trust and Security Unit) explicitly mentioned AutoNet2030 as one strategic contribution by the EC to bolster the safe-fail automated driving (Cyber Secure Car int'l conference Dresden, Sept. 2015).
• The project was invited from the TRB 2016 (Washington D.C., Jan. 2016) and EUCAR conference (Sept 2015) to present the latest advances in automated driving.
• Vector INFORMATIK (world leader in serial bus systems now moving into V2X communications) offer free-of-charge use of their analysis tool to AutoNet2030.
• ITS World Congress (Bordeaux, Oct. 2015): ITS-2894 Special Session on “Theoretical and technical challenges for automated driving” organized and supported by AutoNet2030 won the best session award (out of 69 Sessions). Also best paper award for the AutoNet2030-acked work “Autonomous driving at intersections: combining theoretical and practical approaches” (out of more than 500 papers)
AutoNet2030 Impact for ICCS / NTUA:
The high significance of AutoNet2030 lies in the fact that it constitutes the only project focusing on the development of algorithms and components for fleets of cooperative automated vehicles in mixed traffic scenarios. ICCS has gained considerable visibility serving as the coordinator of such an innovative research project. Furthermore, the project has until now:
• supported the research and the acquisition of know-how and experience by ICCS in the areas of sensor fusion, perception, cognitive ergonomics and evaluation of automated driving systems, maintaining ICCS among the top international experts in these areas
• supported the publication of four papers until today, one in the renown IEEE Communications Magazine
• promoted the long-standing good cooperation of ICCS with leading automotive manufacturers and solution developers, such as Fiat, Scania, Hitachi.
Publications (indicative)
• F. Visintainer, L. Altomare, A. Toffetti, A. Kovacs, A. Amditis, (2016). “Towards Manoeuvre Negotiation: AutoNet2030 Project from a Car Maker Perspective”, 6th Transport Research Arena, Warsaw, Poland, April 18-21, 2016
• P. Pantazopoulos, K. Paglé, A. Amditis, "Designing a Dual-display HMI System for Connected Vehicles: the AutoNet2030 Approach", 23rd World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITSWC 2016), 10-14 October 2016, Melbourne, Australia
• M. Obst, A. Marjovi, M. Vasic, I. Navarro, A. Martinoli, A Amditis, P. Pantazopoulos, I. Llatser, X. Qian, "Challenges for Automated Cooperative Driving–The AutoNet2030 Approach", book chapter in Springer Publishing ‘Automated Driving‘, Editors: Daniel Watzenig, Martin Horn, July 2016.
• L. Hobert, A. Festag, I. Llatser, L. Altomare, F. Visintainer and A. Kovacs, “Enhancements of V2X Communication in Support of Cooperative Autonomous Driving”, to appear in IEEE Communications Magazine, 2015
Contact: Dr. Angelos Amditis, ICCS