SAFE-UP's 4th General Assembly: a recap
Between the 5th and 7th of April, Thessaloniki welcomed the entire SAFE-UP consortium for the first-ever face-to-face General Assembly (GA). This time, our Greek partner HIT-CERTH hosted the three-day event at their facilities. This news item summarises some of the key developments and milestones revealed during the GA.
Since the project started during the midst of a pandemic, our partners haven't experienced the dynamic, in-person interactions that are so often needed in research initiatives like SAFE-UP. Still, many milestones have been achieved so far. Milestones that support the project's overall goal of contributing to the EU’s Vision Zero - through understanding and reducing current and future crashes via vehicle automation, connectivity, and improved occupant protection. As well as informative presentations from each work package (WP), some WPs also hosted a dedicated interactive workshop to discuss the current challenges and how to face them in the coming months. Read the main points explored below.
Future safety-critical scenarios
The WP2 team presented the latest on SAFE-UP's simulation models (human-driven vehicle, automated vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist, & powered-two-wheelers) and their integration into Aimsun Next simulation platform, which is explained in Deliverable 2.4. A description of metrics that can be used to identify safety-critical traffic interactions was also presented (a comprehensive review of metrics available in the literature can be found in Deliverable 2.5).
The use cases for simulation and the identification of safety-critical scenarios were also presented, characterising crash situations involving cars (see D2.6 for more information).
Active safety
As for WP3’s active safety activities, Demo 2 has already been outlined, the scenarios have been selected, and two initial measurement campaigns have been carried out in THI’s test hall (results available in D3.2). Now, the focus is on further developing the weather filter for simulation and optimising the perception performance including different hardware measures.
The Demo 3 vehicle is already available and a detailed description of the status, the several selected scenarios, and the measurements campaign can be found in D3.3. A special focus has been put on understanding the potential field of effect of Autonomous Emergency Steering (AES), in comparison to current state-of-the-art active safety systems, resulting in an approximate 10% of cases which can only be avoided with AES, and not with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). In the next few months, the partners will keep developing the driving algorithms and their integration into the vehicle, to prepare for the final testing after summer.
Demo 4 partners have already selected their scenarios. The first prototypes of vehicle and VRU components have also been developed, as well as their validation in terms of interoperability and on a proving ground using a selected test scenario (see D3.4). The next steps will focus on characterising the scenarios, performing simulations to assess V2X connectivity benefits, and completing the integration of the main components, in order to carry out the final tests at IDIADA’s facilities this summer.
Passive safety
Within the framework of passive safety (WP4), the most frequent car-to-car and car-to-heavy goods vehicle fatal crash types in the EU have been identified, as well as an investigation into trends in Occupant Monitoring Systems (OMSs). The main outcomes can be found in D4.1.
During the WP4 workshop, the challenges of an OMS were addressed, including the choice of sensors and their calibration. The first results from the simulations of the representative scenarios with human body models (HBMs) were also revealed and discussed.
D4.2 summarises the 4 system layouts which present 4 different seating positions with 4 different restraint system concepts. These layouts are now being investigated through simulations with active human body models, with the goal of reducing the injuries of the occupants.
The mock-up vehicle of demo 1 is already equipped with all the necessary hardware and software of the OMS and the first data collection of various anthropometries performing different postures while seated has been successfully executed. The partners have also agreed that a second data collection would help to improve the algorithm even more and this will take place at IDIADA.
Impact assessment
Regarding the safety impact assessment of the SAFE-UP technologies (WP5), the progress of the evaluation framework was presented, which can also be found in D5.1 and D5.2. In there, the requirements of the impact assessment and the initial definition of the methodology are outlined, as well as the combination of its results together with the simulation results. The next steps include finalising the testing details for the assessment method for each demo as well as defining the methodology that will be used to extrapolate local benefits to the EU.
Knowledge translation
Finally, partners from WP6 presented their main outputs, including published deliverables on training, education and awareness needs for VRU safety in existing and evolving mixed automated traffic scenarios (D6.1), and the knowledge translation framework to facilitate uptake and application of SAFE-UP developments and results (D6.2). During their dedicated interactive workshop, the WP6 team gathered multimedia materials and content suggestions from the consortium to enrich the training, education and awareness activities.
All in all, the project is now facing its final stretch with very promising results to date. Soon, new papers and articles will be published and partners will be present at several conferences to showcase such results, potentially including live demonstrations of the developed technologies - so stay tuned for more!
Want to get in touch with the SAFE-UP team? Email us at: contact@safe-up.eu
