Intelligent vehicles tested across European roads
21 Oct 2009
In cooperation with various universities, research centres and other stakeholders the automotive industry tests eight different high-tech intelligent in-vehicle technologies on real roads, with real drivers.
A consortium made up of 28 academia and industry actors, named euroFOT consortium will scientifically test and evaluate the impact of 8 advanced driver assistance systems on safety, efficiency and driver comfort.
Pointing out that other advanced in-vehicle systems like the Curve speed warning and Fuel efficiency advisor as well as well as the Human machine interaction with navigation systems, will be evaluated in time, the partners specifically are going to test lateral and longitudinal control systems warning drivers of potential side- and front-end collisions.
Starting in 2010, more than 1 500 vehicles from different European car brands equipped with intelligent in-vehicle systems will drive across Europe for one year in order to collect the necessary information with test centres Sweden, Italy, France and Germany.
Aria Eternad, project coordinator of euroFOT, points out: "This is the first of its kind, [a] large-scale field operational test that is carried out across brands in Europe.
According to ERTICO-ITS Europe's Maxime Flament, car dealers and fleet owners across Europe were currently recruiting the drivers that would take part in this experiment. Responsible for the coordination of the various vehicle centres, Dr Flament added: 'At the same time, the vehicle operation centres are getting ready to prepare each vehicle for a one-year-long advanced data collection.'
Intending to increase the understanding and to provide indications based on scientific data about the real benefits of the currently available, intelligent in-vehicle systems, the partner assume, that the results of the field test will also lead to improved and informed decision making.
Alongside with the French non-profit organization CEESAR, the companies taking part in the euroFOT project are Volkswagen, BMW, MAN and Audi from Germany, Italy's Fiat and Sweden's Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars, that will provide 100 Volvo V70 and XC70 cars equipped with technology that monitors the driver's behaviour.
"This helps us to better understand the interaction between driver, car and the traffic environment. The interface between human and machine (HMI) is one of our key research areas", said Jan Ivarsson, head of Safety Strategy at Volvo Cars. "All instruments and functions must be easy to understand and use. It is vital that new information and support technology in our cars is designed and coordinated in the right way. The information must help the driver without stealing attention."