THE LIGHTHOUSE MOBILITY.E
ILLUMINATING THE ROAD TO ELECTRIC, CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED CARS
The European Commission (EC) has set the ambitious target of achieving a 60% vehicle emission reduction by 2050 compared to 1990, through the progressive implementation of a zero-emission policy. From an engineering perspective, the zero-emission target is implemented through drivetrain electrification, while the benefits of co-modality are achieved through connectivity, which plays a major role in the megatrend of digitalisation. All car manufacturers, public authorities, and other stakeholders are in agreement that (cooperative) driver assistance, active safety systems and automated driving functions are vital to approach Europe’s vision 2021 and the long-term goal of zero fatalities, zero injuries and zero accidents. In parallel, economic development requires an efficient and sustainable mobility system.
Reiner John, Infineon Project Coordinator
Smart Mobility is therefore a key topic in the ECSEL vision of a future transport sector based on vehicle electrification, connectivity, autonomous functions and digitalisation driving large-scale lighthouse initiatives such as Mobility.E. The lighthouse programme concept focuses on addressing major technological, legal and infrastructure innovation challenges facing the large-scale deployment of safe, electrically powered, automated/autonomous and connected vehicles. Its goal is the deployment of a zeroemission/ zero-accident intelligent mobility systems accessible by all. Reiner John of Infineon Technologies, project leader of the Lighthouse project AutoDrive, presents his views of this initiative and the roadmap that will be illuminated by its example.
THE LIGHTHOUSE MOBILITY.E IS DRIVEN BY COOPERATING RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Mobility.E Lighthouse Initiative supports the roadmap towards safe, electric, automated/ autonomous and connected smart mobility. The ECSEL project AutoDrive is the first cornerstone of this Lighthouse Initiative that will provide fail-aware, fail-safe, and fail-operational integrated electronic components, Electrical/ Electronic (E/E) architectures as well as (deeply) embedded software systems for highly and fully automated driving to make future mobility safer, more efficient, affordable, and end-user acceptable. Reiner explains. “In addition to technology research and innovation, it covers areas such as standardisation, the regulatory and policy context in which public private collaboration interacts. The AutoDrive project will advance the current level of safety and reliability by considerably driving forward fail-operational technologies and by making use of safety and security concepts from the aviation domain.”
MOBILITY AS A SERVICE
Automated/autonomous driving is a disruptive technology that opens the door to future multi-billion markets. It provides business opportunities to value chains in the automotive and semiconductor industry. In Europe, the industry has competitive strengths in developing and manufacturing highly reliable electro-mechanical systems. So, in order to preserve this capability, European standards must be established for high-level control, such as real-time computing, data processing and platforms interoperability. “One of the paradigm shifts, occurring in the automotive industry, is the emergence of Mobility as a Service. In aviation, this concept is already long established. Soon, all we will be concerned about is that we leave and arrive on schedule, safe and sound, and that the trip fulfils our wishes in terms of comfort and convenience. This is where the Lighthouse will focus its beam – to light the way to all the technical and non-technical issues, so that, along the roadmap, we can overcome bumps, obstacles and potholes that we may come up against.”
CRITICAL MASS FOR SAFER MOBILITY STANDARDS
The vehicles that will operate this ‘service’ in the future will need to be robust and safe, because they will be operating fairly constantly, “unlike the cars that are owned today and are used perhaps for just an hour a day,” Reiner reminds us. “The AutoDrive project aims to design fail-aware (self-diagnostics), fail-safe and fail-operational (hardware and software redundancy) electronic components and systems architectures that enable automated driving to be introduced in all car categories. Currently, of course, even the most sophisticated automated/ autonomous vehicle technology on the road is not able to surpass human driving capabilities – especially considering context awareness in any situation. Moreover, there is no common agreement on quantifiable dependability measures, which hardware and embedded software has to achieve to allow safe automated/autonomous driving for SAE Levels 3-5. This is where the Lighthouse Initiative will come into play: By enabling semiconductor companies, suppliers, OEMs and research institutes, connect together with the AutoDrive project, to create a pan-European ecosystem, which has the critical mass to initiate standards and provide the components and subsystems for automated driving. The results of AutoDrive will significantly contribute to safer and more efficient mobility, boosting end-user acceptance and comfort by supporting drivers in highly challenging situations (active safety) as well as in regular driving situations and, subsequently, reducing the number of road fatalities.”
“I cannot emphasise enough the role of digitalisation in tackling the technological challenges and moving this transition forward. Without digitalisation and connectivity there is no automated/ autonomous mobility. It is crucial to the stage we have to reach: From senses to brainpower to decision-making and actuation. We collect, process, interpret data and act on the processed data. Deciding what to do and how to use that data is a function based on abstraction. There is plenty of intelligence being built into vehicles, but it still lacks the self-awareness, self-organising, self-learning capacity, and that’s where we need to make progress before we can truly automate. The vehicle’s brain can use its various sensors to help you avoid obstacles and intervene, but we have not yet reached the stage of independent thinking, as it were.”
MISSION ZERO
The development from a technology perspective goes hand in hand with the user needs and preferences within a regulatory landscape that comprises standardisation, privacy, legal, environmental, ethical and other issues. “Looking at the development of electric vehicles,” Reiner says, “we began from a perspective of fuel efficiency and low emissions. Now, prospective electric vehicles owners tend to be primarily concerned with affordability and range. As electric propulsion (battery, fuel cell, etc.) become mainstream, the main focus will be automation and mobility. So, as the roadmap heads towards 2030 and Mission Zero (victims and emissions), new and different requirements will steer developments, both technical and non-technical. The emphasis will move increasingly from vehicle to mobility, in other words, connections: Not putting more vehicles on the road, but optimising their use to enhance the flow of people and goods. All the time, we must keep in mind the Mission Zero target. This is, of course, essential for user acceptance.
And so, in the light of Mobility.E Lighthouse Initiative, it is important that the relevant peripheral challenges like standards, rules, regulations, legislation, liability and obligation are well signposted and can be tackled just as effectively as the technology challenges. If we can do this, we can help to sustain leadership in Europe and sustainably boost economic growth and prosperity as well as quality of life.”
(taken from ARTEMIS Magazine No 23; by Chris Horgan “The Lighthouse Mobility.E)