Addressing challenges toward the deployment of higher automation

Project Information

Hi-Drive

Grant agreement ID: 101006664

DOI

10.3030/101006664

Project closed

EC signature date 8 December 2020

Start date 1 July 2021

End date 30 November 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 36 973 416,85

EU contribution

€ 30 000 000,00

Coordinated by

VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Hi-Drive (Addressing challenges toward the deployment of higher automation)

Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Connected and Automated Driving (CAD) has become a megatrend in the digitalisation of society and the economy. CAD has the potential to drastically change transportation and to create far reaching impacts. SAE level 3 (L3) automated functions were piloted in Europe by the L3Pilot project in 2017-2021. Hi-Drive builds on L3Pilot results and advances the European state-of-the-art from SAE L3 ‘Conditional Automation’ further up towards ‘High Automation’ by demonstrating in large-scale trials the robustness and reliability of CAD functions in demanding and error-prone conditions with special focus on:

CAVs travelling in challenging conditions covering variable weather and traffic scenarios and complex infrastructure
connected and secure automation providing vehicles/their operators with information beyond the line of sight and on-board sensor capabilities
complex interaction with other road users in normal traffic
factors influencing user preferences and reactions including comfort and trust – and eventually, enabling viable business models for AD.

The project’s ambition is to extend considerably the operational design domain (ODD) from the present situation, which frequently demand take over the vehicle control by a human driver. As experienced in the EU flagship pilot project L3Pilot, on the way from A to B, a prototype AV will encounter a number of ODD factors, leading to fragmented availability of the AD function. Hi-Drive addresses these key challenges, which are currently hindering the progress of vehicle automation. The concept builds on reaching a widespread ODD, where automation can operate continuously for longer periods, and the interoperability is assured across borders and brands. Hi-Drive strives to extend the ODD and reduce the frequency of the takeover requests by selecting and implementing technology enablers leading to highly capable CAD functions, operating in diverse driving scenarios including, but not limited to, urban traffic and motorways. The removal of fragmentation in the ODD is expected to give rise to a gradual transition from a conditional operation towards higher levels of automated driving.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The work in Hi-Drive started with the collection and description of the different automated driving functions, enabling technologies and ODDs. When testable functions and use cases are defined, research questions and hypotheses are formulated leading to specification of data needed for evaluation and then actual recording of vehicle-driver behaviour. Testing will focus on three evaluation areas: 1) users; 2) AD availability and performance; 3) societal impacts (namely, on safety, efficiency, environment, mobility, transport system, and society). Furthermore, these assessments serve as input to determine whether the socio-economic benefits outweigh the costs. The project also engages in a broad dialogue with the stakeholders and the general public to promote Hi-Drive results. Dissemination and communication are boosted by a demonstration campaign to show project achievements.

Overall, Hi-Drive strives to create deployment ecosystem by providing a platform for strategic collaboration. Accordingly, the work includes EU-wide user education and driver training campaign and series of Code of Practices (CoPs) for the Development of ADFs and Road Testing Procedures, while also leading the outreach activities on standardization, business innovation, extended networking with the interested stakeholders and coordinating parallel activities in Europe and overseas.

In P2, significant progress was made across various areas. Initial versions of Code of Practices (CoPs) were drafted and widely shared with the CCAM community. Enabler KPIs were developed, and plans to evaluate performance in real traffic, test tracks, or simulators were established. Vehicle pre-testing was mostly completed, with some pre-pilot data analyzed. Evaluation methods for user and effects assessment were finalized, while data engineering tools and databases were designed, accompanied by a troubleshooting process. Operations, despite slight delays, included 32 experiments, covering 20,000 km with 2,379 test runs. User studies data collection is nearly complete (80%), with the first drafts of all deliverables (D6.1-4) available. The Edge Case and Driving Scenario Database was deployed, and the implementation of demonstration and user campaigns is progressing smoothly.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Hi-Drive advances the European state-of-the-art of automated driving from SAE L3 ‘Conditional Automation’ further up towards ‘High Automation’ by demonstrating in large-scale trials the robustness and reliability of CAD functions. We focus on testing and evaluating variety of functionalities, from motorway chauffeur to urban chauffeur, explored in diverse scenarios with heterogeneous driving cultures across Europe.

Hi-Drive strives to extend the ODD and reduce the frequency of takeover requests by selecting and implementing technology Enablers leading to highly capable Connected Automated Driving Functions (CADFs). Passenger cars and trucks will demonstrate CADFs in a large set of traffic environments on motorways, in cities and cross-border scenarios, with a specific attention to demanding, error-prone, conditions.

Main Technical Figure used for introducing the project objectives