The project arose out of the need to efficiently transfer large amounts of data generated by and shared between automated vehicles (AVs) and with networks and infrastructures in connected and automated transportation (CAT). As the number of CAVs increases, the huge data volume will easily exceed the capacity of the wireless network. A paradigm shift in communication protocols towards a value-driven design is, therefore, crucial to avoid wasting network resources and degrading traffic safety and efficiency. The problem is that no existing model and theory can be directly applied to assess the value of information (VoI). In the meantime, as the operating frequency evolves towards millimeter wave (mmWave) and higher frequency bands, the trend of using large-scale antenna arrays (LSAAs) is becoming clear. The problems that have been addressed by this project are the following:
1) How to design metrics that capture the space-time statistical properties of VoI;
2) How to model these spatio-temporal VoI metrics;
3) How to develop efficient sampling and transmission scheduling strategies accordingly.
Over the past decade, the world has witnessed enormous advances in automated driving. The key role of wireless communication in unfolding the full potential of AVs is widely acknowledged. By fusing the sensing information provided by the AVs, an accurate and real-time representation of the highly dynamic traffic environment can be formed. This cooperative environment perception (CEP) lies as the foundation of a variety of safety and efficiency-improving applications, and will eventually push the transition towards CAT, to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries, reduce congestion and emissions, and extend mobility to all groups of people.
The overall objective of this project is to establish a theoretical framework and practical methods for evaluating and modeling VoI with their spatio-temporal correlation, to enable the development of efficient communication protocols to facilitate cooperative environment perception and to promote CAT. The project serves the EU’s vision for Connected and Automated Mobility in a Digital Single Market, Vision Zero – to reduce road deaths to almost zero by 2050, and the “Building a low-carbon, climate-resilient future” focus area of Horizon 2020.
