Project description
Correct-by-construction solution for autonomous driving
Autonomous driving technology is advancing rapidly and attracting strong interest from public and private sectors. However, developing software that can reliably ensure safe lane-level driving behaviour remains a major challenge. Correct-by-construction approaches can address this with the design of control systems that guarantee safe behaviour from the outset. The ERC-funded CertiLane project aims to develop an innovative automatic lane change planner and controller, along with machine-checkable evidence to improve timing and safety. The project will match correct-by-construction methods with an efficient and thorough toolchain.
Objective
Autonomous driving keeps advancing, yet one obstacle persists: building lane-level behaviors whose software is provably safe. In current practice, requirements are written in natural language, interpreted inconsistently, and implemented with ad-hoc heuristics. Human error and limited test coverage leave edge cases unaddressed, while mileage-heavy validation is slow and costly. The result is fragile behavior and eroded public trust. Building on our research project AutoCPS, we will turn correct-by-construction methods into a product focused on a single high-impact feature: a certifiable Automatic Lane Change capability.
The goal is an Automatic Lane Change planner and controller accompanied by machine-checkable evidence for safety and timing, plus explicit operating assumptions. Requirements are captured as formal, reviewable rules; software is then automatically synthesized and delivered with certificates and runtime monitors for safety cases. Validation proceeds in stages: first in the MORAI driving simulator, then on a scaled roadway, and finally on an instrumented vehicle with an NVIDIA Jetson Orin. The toolchain reuses and hardens assets from our prior work—pFaces for compute acceleration, PIRK for predicting safe envelopes around other actors, AMYTISS for handling uncertainty, and OmegaThreads for compiling temporal rules.
End users are planning, safety, and verification teams at car makers and suppliers. The outcome is a licensable kit generating verified Automatic Lane Change software and certificates, with optional integration support. This proof of concept will (i) deliver the prototype and evidence package; (ii) quantify reductions in validation mileage and computing effort; (iii) complete a freedom-to-operate and intellectual-property plan; and (iv) secure early-access partners. Success will demonstrate a proof-driven alternative to mileage-based validation, improve road safety, and open a path to a family of certifiable functions beyond lane change.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 Planegg
Germany
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