Low Cost Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): A cost affordable solution for improved road safety

Project Information

SMARTCARS

Grant agreement ID: 767509

DOI

10.3030/767509

Project closed

EC signature date 10 June 2017

Start date 1 July 2017

End date 31 March 2020

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 2 844 500,00

EU contribution

€ 1 991 150,00

Coordinated by

XESOL INNOVATION SA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SMARTCARS (Low Cost Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): A cost affordable solution for improved road safety)

Reporting period: 2019-07-01 to 2020-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Road safety is a mayor societal issue with road accidents being main cause of death in industrial countries. According to the World Health Organization, the total number of road traffic deaths remains unacceptably high at 1.24 million per year, occupying the 9th position in the list of top leading causes of death in the world. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can contribute to a possible solution.
ADAS are systems developed to automate, adapt and enhance vehicle systems for safety and better driving. Since 2000, the automotive industry has gradually introduced new ADAS features in vehicles. The progress in this field has been enormous and it has been demonstrated that the most advanced ADAS systems can contribute reducing fatal road accidents by a factor of more than 40%. However, in spite of the huge progress so far, relatively few vehicles on the road today have these systems.
The major problem preventing ADAS massive implementation is that these systems are only offered to the drivers when purchasing a new vehicle as embedded solutions and the most advanced (securest ADAS) are found only in the high Price vehicle segment. This implies that the improved driving safety is restricted to the high purchasing power consumers and only when replacing their old car, while it is not accessible to the lower-middleclass consumers.
The SMARTCARS project is aimed at making the most advanced ADAS systems accessible to everyone. Our technology is not based on an embedded system but on an external hardware solution which can connected to the vehicle by a simple car cigarette lighter connector. SMARTCARS will enable any car owner paying just 550€, to enjoy the improved driving safety offered by the most advanced ADAS, which nowadays can only be enjoyed when purchasing a new car of the premium-high price segment.

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

WP2: PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT
A prototype has been developed with traffic sign detection, lane departure and collisions warnings.
An infotainment design has been made in accordance with international standards.

WP3: V2X CAPABILITIES
The V2X features were analyzed, selected and implemented.
An infotainment design has been made that incorporates the V2X selected services.

WP4: COMMERCIAL PRODUCT
Hardware has been selected for around 360 euros. The hardware architecture has been changed. The system is no longer connected to the car's OBD for speed information and power.
The code has been optimized.
New features such as Headway have been incorporated.

WP5: PRODUCT DEMONSTRATION
The demonstration trial was carried out. The system was installed in 15 vehicles and one hundred people could test it.

WP6: OPERATIONS
Negotiations have taken place with national and international suppliers in order to reduce the hardware cost of the system as much as possible.
A prototype testing base has been established. Numerous tests have been carried out to verify code and hardware quality.

WP7: COMMERCIALIZATION
The project has been presented to investors (venture capital, companies, individuals) and clients.
Several capital increases have been carried out.
A new policy of payments to suppliers has been established.

WP 8: DISSEMINATION
Numerous disseminations actions were carried out in press (written and online), specialist online magazine, television channels, radio, etc. Some of them are trade fairs attendance (MWC, CES Las Vegas, etc), market opening trips (Colombia, EEUU), advertorials in written press, graphi media, articles, etc.

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)

SOCIAL-ECONOMIC IMPACT
- Consumer interest in safety is growing.
- Governments continue to push for improved road safety.
- According to a new research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global market for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is estimated to increase by 15.9% CAGR in 2017 to 2025. The market was valued at US $ 11,830 million in 2016 and, based on the growth rate, it is expected to reach US $ 43,270 million at the end of the projection period.

IMPACT ON THE COMPANY
The impact on the company is significant in terms of expected turnover, as well as in the possibilities offered by the technology developed if it is adapted to new market needs.

COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS OF THE SYSTEM
- Strategy based on the use of a camera with a larger aperture angle than that used by major competitors in order to reduce blind spots in the near environment of the vehicle.
- Hardware better adapted to the needs of our target. The use of a screen larger than that used by the main competitors favours a better interpretation of the system warnings by our target public, such as the elderly who have diminished senses due to their age.
- This is a simpler and quicker solution to install. As it is not connected to the vehicle's OBD and it is powered by the cigarette lighter, the installation process is considerably simplified.

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