Discover in this video the first results of the French team of the European 5G-MOBIX project. This demonstration shows two use cases of 5G for connected and automated mobility.The combination of low latency and very high data rates provides greater reliability and security, even in low visibility or cross-border areas.
Coordinated by VEDECOM, the French trial site of the H2020 5G-MOBIX project tested the contribution of 5G during “infrastructure-assisted advanced driving” and the maintenance of service in cross-border conditions.
Carried out on the Versailles Satory runway, the demonstration presents use cases tested in France and in the Spain-Portugal cross-border corridor: the automated lane change of a level 4 vehicle assisted by the infrastructure when a basic vehicle is inserted; then maintaining connectivity between two networks (TDF and Bouygues).
The French 5G-MOBIX trial site is coordinated by VEDECOM in partnership with AKKA technologies, Valeo, Catapult. TDF contributed its expertise in critical networks and mobile edge computing by equipping the test runaway with a 5G infrastructure.
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Learn more about 5G-MOBIX project.
The NAVETTY pilot project is autonomous shuttle service locatedon a site representative of a real urban area. Launched in May 2021, it will switch to a service with no on-board operator in 2022.
A three-year demonstration called NAVETTY is starting on the ArianeGroup industrial French site in Les Mureaux (78), west of Paris.
The NAVETTY R&D project is supported by VEDECOM – R&D institute for energy transition in mobility-, ArianeGroup, Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems, EasyMile and the Yvelines County Council (CD78), which has strongly invested for make this project a success. The aim is to deploy a fully autonomous mobility service with no on-board operators, using electric and autonomous shuttles, on a site representative of an urban area.
The service will be distantly supervised via a supervision software from a local OCC , relying on connected road infrastructure. This step is a key and unique milestone in Europe. It will validate the technology and business model, which are critical to allow for the future deployment of a large-scale service that will start on Seine valley public roads.
Watch the presentation of Navetty project
The EZ10 Navetty autonomous shuttles are made by EasyMile ©ArianeGroup
Aerial view of ArianeGroup Les Mureaux site ©Mairie des Mureaux / Philippe Graindorge
NAVETTY will rely on five R&D axes. The first is the main issue of the project: after Versailles Satory’s open road experimentation with extended perception by autonomous shuttles including an on-board operator, the goal is to switch to a mode with no on-board operator and a distant supervision. The other four are: cybersecurity, operational safety of the mobility system, smart and connected infrastructures and acceptability of the ecosystem.
For this large-scale demonstrator, the choice of the ArianeGroup site in Les Mureaux west of Paris, which covers an area of 227 acres, is ideal as it brings together all the complex elements of an urban area: road and pedestrian traffic, roundabouts, intersections and parking lots. This environment lends itself perfectly to preparing future transition to an urban scale. This autonomous shuttle service has also been designed to meet the needs of ArianeGroup to improve access to its facilities.
Distant supervision: a core technology for the switch to full autonomy
A new technology has been required to implement a mobility service of autonomous vehicles both with no on-board operator and offering the required service quality and safety levels. This technology is a software called Autonomous Vehicles’ Supervision and is developed by Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems. It offers three main functions: fleet management, system monitoring and customer experience.
Within the OCC located on site, supervision operators from Transdev Ile-de-France will be present to supervise the service in real time.
Cybersecurity and the operational safety of the mobility system: prerequisites
Cybersecurity is a central focus for the research carried out in this project. The challenge is to guarantee the safety of the entire mobility system and prevent any malicious acts.
Indeed, current autonomous vehicles include on-board technologies dedicated to perception, supervision and trajectory decisions. These faculties are made possible by sensors, processing and computing units which must be totally secured for passenger transportation.
Autonomous management of roundabouts: a technical milestone
The connected and intelligent infrastructure, including roundabouts and crossroad management, is developed by VEDECOM. The project’s aim is to improve the efficiency of the shuttles while crossing a roundabout. The infrastructure will be able to analyze the activity of vehicles and users while entering and exiting the roundabout. It will also be able to transmit authorizations to the shuttles, in order to allow better management of the crossing, with fluidity and safely: authorization or prohibition to enter, proposal of an optimal trajectory.
Acceptability of the ecosystem: a key issue to validate the model
Acceptability is a key issue to maximize the success of this unprecedented autonomous mobility service. This work package, carried out by VEDECOM, will consider the opinions of end users but also players in the ecosystem whose actions may have a direct or indirect impact on the service’s progress.
Several use cases will be studied, from the ArianeGroup industrial site to train stations and the Les Mureaux Campus, within urban and suburban areas
In parallel to the R&D work, several use cases will be studied to prepare the deployment of autonomous shuttles in the Yvelines territory.
Use case 1: Fully autonomous shuttle service with no on-board operator, on an industrial site representative of an urban area.
The first use case is an autonomous shuttle transport service on the ArianeGroup site in Les Mureaux. This site specializes in project management and major civil and military space programs including the development Ariane 6.
The service will run for three years starting in 2021. The objective is to remove the on-board operator from 2022. This site’s surface area (50 buildings spread over 227 acres) and attendance (2,700 people) are comparable to those of an urban district, making it an ideal place of demonstration.
Use case 2: “Last mile” autonomous shuttle service connecting a train station to an industrial site.
Another route will be studied and experimented during the project, for a limited time, in cooperation with the Public Transport Authority. This route will connect Les Mureaux train station to the ArianeGroup site, which is just over a mile from the station.
Use cases 3 and 4: Autonomous mobility services in urban and suburban areas.
Two other routes will be studied to assess the feasibility conditions for setting up an autononomous shuttle service in urban and suburban areas. Use case 3 will be between Les Mureaux campus and Les Mureaux train station. Use case 4 will be between Clairières de Verneuil train station and the ArianeGroup site. The Les Mureaux campus, a hotspot for innovation in the Greater Paris region, attracts significant flows of people between the public transportation stations and the ArianeGroup site. In addition, the flow between Clairières de Verneuil station and the ArianeGroup site is particularly dense at rush hour with most journeys currently made by car.
NAVETTY, a partnership project in the French Yvelines territory, west of Paris
Yvelines territory, west of Paris, is the leading County in France for the automotive industry. The department Council has supported the VEDECOM R&D institute since its creation, through funding of €20 million for its programs dedicated to innovative mobility (including low-carbon mobility, and autonomous vehicles). Yvelines is the institute’s second public funder after the National Research Agency (ANR). With this demonstration, the Yvelines department confirms its support for the industrial redevelopment of the Grand Paris Seine & Oise area. It also strengthens its investment policy in mobility projects in the area (budget of €500 million dedicated to major public transportation projects including railways and road infrastructure). Beyond the technological aspect of the project, the Yvelines department also intends to support the blending of know-how between the space and automotive industries: ArianeGroup’s expertise in complex systems together with mobility players such as VEDECOM, Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems and EasyMile. Numerous companies in aeronautics, technology and automotive are located in the territory. Eventually, the aim is to strengthen the links between all of them.
“The Yvelines is a region of innovation and the launch of this experiment reasserts our desire to develop innovative and sustainable mobility in the department. I am very glad of this new impulse between industry and research. Being at the service of the Yvelines people, the NAVETTY project will prepare for a revolution in their daily life”, said Pierre Bedier, President of the Yvelines Council.
NAVETTY responds to VEDECOM‘s ambition to develop breakthrough technologies and a transversal vision of new uses, in cooperation with major industrial players and through concrete projects for the community. It devotes more than a third of its activity to R&D on autonomous and connected vehicles and another third to vehicle electrification. It has developed an interdisciplinary expertise in vehicle automation, as can be seen with a number of first scientific steps in France and in Europe, such as the first Level 4 autonomous vehicle demonstration in Europe on an open road (7 km) in Bordeaux in 2015, or the first demonstration of autonomous on-demand services with no driver, with customer interface and remote supervision, in the border area, in Strasbourg in 2017. As a result, it actively contributes to the French Strategy on Autonomous Vehicles. In November 2020, it launched, with its partners, the first global barometer on the acceptability of autonomous vehicles.
For Philippe Watteau, Chief Executive Officer, “this project supports a dual stake, both technological and social: accelerating the transition from applied research on electric and autonomous vehicles to operational implementation; provide real services to populations in remote areas where traditional transport costs are too high. VEDECOM will also fully play its role there: a role of public/private federator, and a support role for the economic development of French industries.”
Setting up of the NAVETTY project The project, led by VEDECOM, is supported and financed by four partners through a consortium agreement between VEDECOM, ArianeGroup, Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems and EasyMile. The Yvelines County is providing a major support of € 2.5 million to the project, making it the main funder.
ArianeGroup will host the experiment at Les Mureaux site, located in the Yvelines territory, to support the autonomous mobility research ecosystem, and to help answering mobility and carbon footprint issues. In addition to the first and last kilometres interconnection to train stations, the project should facilitate the smoothness of employee and visitor flows between buildings and reduce the use of individual vehicles on-site. The assessment of this pilot case will help studying a larger scale deployment at other ArianeGroup sites.
“Technological innovation and environmental responsibility are at the heart of ArianeGroup’s space expertise. As the European leader in access to space, we contribute daily to improving life on Earth, and it is therefore both a source of pride and an evidence to make our site available for this experiment”, explained Hugues Emont, director of the ArianeGroup Les Mureaux site.
Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems is an integrator of autonomous transport systems, including supervision, autonomous vehicles and connected infrastructure. Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems provides technological tools and engineering services to local operators and cities, for the day-to-day operation of large-scale autonomous mobility services. Thanks to Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems, Transdev is leader in the operation of autonomous mobility services, with more than 3.5 million people transported in shared autonomous vehicles around the world.
“This new project will allow us, together with our partners, to reach a significant new step in the development of autonomous mobility and the preparation of an efficient economic and social model. We are convinced of the central role of supervision to operate autonomous mobility services with no on-board operator, and we are proud to experience it soon on the ArianeGroup Les Mureaux site”, said Patricia Villoslada, Executive Vice-President of Transdev Autonomous Transport Systems.
With globally recognized experience in autonomous mobility solutions, EasyMile provides the shuttles necessary for the implementation of the project and the associated services. Since the very first day, EasyMile has been working to develop safe and efficient solutions to deploy autonomous Level 4 vehicles. The majority of the more than 300 deployments made by EasyMile with its EZ10 shuttle have been carried out on open roads, but local regulations around the world require the presence of a security on-board operator. Therefore, EasyMile is particularly interested in testing and improving the deployment and management of a fully driverless autonomous shuttle in a complex environment representative of an urban area.
“My vision for autonomous vehicles is that autonomous public transport is coming soon. It will arrive long before driverless cars and taxis. The relative simplicity of a transit service makes it ideal for autonomous technology,” says Gilbert Gagnaire, Founder and CEO of EasyMile. “Today, with this unique project, we are taking our technology to the next level. We will be able to experience a service with no on-board operator in a realistic environment, which paves the way to new mobility solutions for future, similar applications.”
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Watch the presentation of Navetty project
VEDECOM brought together, on behalf of the Battle Lab Terre, several French industry leaders in Defense. The aim was to implement an autonomous convoy of vehicles using a ‘multi-Follow Me’ mode behind a leading vehicle. The long-term perspective is to deploy interoperable autonomous convoys in theaters of operations while integrating the constraints of the Defense industry.
Project partners: NEXTER Robotics, ARQUUS and CNIM.
An unprecedented partnership launched a year ago
VEDECOM was commissioned as a trusted third party and expert R&D French Institute on the topic of autonomous and electric vehicles. As a matter of fact, this Institute for Energy Transition is located in Versailles, in the Satory district, very close from the army and its suppliers Nexter and Arquus. Its platforms and research teams are dedicated to vehicule electrification, automated and connected vehicles, new mobility solutions.
Located at the heart of the “cluster of innovative mobility” supported by the Yvelines couty, not far from Paris, VEDECOM runs a large ecosystem, integrating Nexter and Arquus.
A consortium between the VEDECOM research institute, VEDECOM Tech (business subsidiary)and the industrialists NEXTER Robotics, ARQUUS and CNIM has been set up. This joint project, entitled MC² for “Micro-convoy in contact”, was coordinated by VEDECOM Tech team.
The role of VEDECOM Tech first, to coordinate all the actors to set up an interoperable convoy and second, to carry out the dynamic assessment of the convoy. The aim is to objectify the behavior of each vehicle in the convoy, to rule on the state of the art and to address key point improvements.
After the technological development, the project was materialized with a demonstration in front of representatives of the Army and the State. This was held on January 28, 2021 on the test tracks of Versailles-Satory.
Various vehicles and robots united by “Follow-me” technology
The convoy used four types of vehicles:
- a Sherpa Light, the leading vehicle, provided by Arquus,
- following was the Robot-LAB, on a PVP basis, provided by Arquus
- then the Optio robot-mule, provided by Nexter Robotics
- then a Themis 4.5 robot-Mule, provided by CNIM
The three following vehicles were equipped with technological bricks called “Follow Me”, allowing each robot to follow the vehicle in front of it, the “target vehicle”. In the case of a “multi-follow Me” convoy, each robot virtually harnesses itself and autonomously adapts its trajectory and speed in order to form the convoy. Thus, each vehicle builds its own trajectory.
A distinction must be made between “Follow me” technology and traditional ‘platooning’, a term used for autonomous convoys when all the vehicles replay the same trajectory (for example through a GPS track), with a speed setpoint managed globally.
Interoperable and interchangeable convoy
The MC² project aims to demonstrate interoperability in two ways: heterogeneity of vehicles and interchangeability of robots in the convoy.
Regarding the heterogeneity of vehicles, the convoy combined both an 11-tonne 4*4 tactical vehicle, capable of traveling at 110km/h, a 5.5-tonne 4*4 reconnaissance vehicle that can ride up to 20km/h and 2 multipurpose 2-ton tracked robot mules capable of traveling at 18km/h.
Two convoy configurations were implemented to demonstrate the ability of robots to couple to different vehicles.
Dynamic evaluation
VEDECOM Tech used Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology in order to assess the convoy dynamic behavior. The vehicle movement area has been defined and equipped with geolocated fixed transmitters called “anchors”. The vehicles were fitted with embedded captors so that they could position in the frame of reference formed by the anchors.
All location data was recorded in real time. The post-processing makes it possible to characterize the dynamic behavior of the convoy:
- speed of each vehicle
- interdistance between vehicles
- lateral deviation from the path of the robots
Ruling the French state of the art and increasing the forces’safety
In France, this event marks the first stage in the development of interoperable platooning convoys meeting military requirements and capable of operating in a destructured environment. The main objectives of this approach are to increase the security of forces by optimizing logistics, and to refocus human resources on operations.
Expected applications are long-distance autonomous logistics convoys and autonomous last-mile multi-purpose convoys.
Partners and spokespersons
The PACV2X project validated a technology based on the fusion of data from the infrastructure.
Faced with increased demand for mobility, growing traffic and technological developments, infrastructure must evolve, in particular to facilitate the transition between our current vehicles and those of tomorrow, whether they are cooperative or autonomous. To respond to this new mobility challenge, the road and motorway infrastructure must be equipped with services that guarantee safe journeys.
Indeed, in some situations, cooperative and potentially automated vehicles do not have a sufficient level of understanding to detect and avoid a collision on their own.
The project, named PAC V2X for “Augmented Perception by V2X Cooperation”, aimed to increase the perception of these vehicles by simply using their own means to avoid collision. The most common cases: intersections, hill tops, curved roads, masking related to traffic or infrastructure. The results of the project were presented on December 8, 2020.
The project was supported by a consortium composed of eight partners: SIGNATURE VERTICAL & MOBILITY SOLUTIONS, SANEF, VEDECOM, INRIA, LOGIROAD, DIGIMOBEE, MARBEN and VICI.
Messages sent from roadside to automated vehicles
To increase vehicles’ awareness, the PAC V2X project aims to equip roadside units (RSU) with radars and cameras positioned at strategic locations. These RSUs transmit their perception to connected vehicles through standardized V2X messages, or those in the process of being standardized, in order to anticipate complex situations and facilitate decision-making.
“Our institute is proud to bring new tools to the community, resulting from our work both on the fusion of data given by roadside units and on the communication of information to the vehicle” said Oyunchimeg Shagdar and Pierre Merdrignac, researchers at VEDECOM.
Important innovations to improve safety and traffic
The use cases targeted by PACV2X apply to highways, tolls and intersections:
• warning in the event of risk of collision for violation of the light signal and reverse driving;
• assistance with lane changes for entering the motorway, passing worksite areas and passing with limited visibility (for example, a bus covering the road);
• traffic control in specific areas such as assistance with traffic scheduling at intersections for priority vehicles or assistance at tolls;
• contextual speed limit broadcast.
A viable and standardized technology
The project demonstrated the technical feasibility of the proposed approach, starting with the specification of the use cases and the technical specification of the system. Prototypes of roadside units have been developed and tested in various conditions, then validated on track. Eventually, an experiment on open road was carried out on several sites, both in urban areas and in motorways.
The evaluation demonstrated the technical capabilities of the system to expand the perception of vehicles and address the use cases targeted by the project. In addition, the evaluation highlighted the expected benefits in terms of road safety and traffic management.
The PAC V2X project relied on existing standards and brought its own contribution to European standardization organizations.
VEDECOM expert in fusion of sensor data and V2X messages
VEDECOM’s “REVECOM” team has developed augmented perception modules based on the fusion of data from sensors (cameras, Lidar) and V2X communication messages. It has also developed application modules of assistance to connected vehicles in areas where their perception is limited (intersection, toll area, work area, bus stop).
VEDECOM team also coordinated and participated in the experimentation of the system on the Versailles Satory tracks, in Versailles streets, and on the Sanef motorway network. Finally, it participated in both technical and non-technical impact analyzes of the system.
For more information on PACV2X
On January 14, 2019, CNES signed a partnership agreement with VEDECOM to put space science at the service of autonomous vehicles and sustainable mobility. VEDECOM, a French R&D institute dedicated to the energy transition and the mobility of the future, is particularly focussed on autonomous vehicles (CAV). This partnership is part of the Connect by CNES program, which aim is to promote and develop the use of space technologies. In the field of autonomous vehicles, CNES provides its skills for the critical Localisation and Navigation function, based on GNSS satellites geolocation.
Improving localisation methodology with mixt signals
A first project was launched in the fall of 2019, following the signature of a contract with GUIDE, a geolocation test laboratory, specializing in the characterization of GNSS signals from the constellations Galileo, GPS, Glonass and Beidou. The aim was to analyze VEDECOM autonomous vehicle test circuits on a road open to public traffic, to characterize them regarding quality of reception of satellite signals. Final goal: to improve VEDECOM general methods of autonomous vehicle location.
EPLEÏ: a first 1st innovative solution from the Intelligent Mobility Lab
In October 2019, the Intelligent Mobility Lab was launched via a contract with Matrice co-funded by VEDECOM and CNES. Objective: to invent new uses and services in the field of intelligent mobility through the use of Very High Spatial Resolution satellite images (50 cm). After 6 months of work, an innovative solution for the logistics sector was selected and is the subject of a proof of concept (POC) between January and March 2020. This solution consists of providing, without geographic displacement, within a time limit. short and for any point on the planet, critical information to help in the decision to locate logistics warehouses. It was awarded as part of a call for projects from the Ile de France Region presented on July 1, 2020 and gave rise to the creation of the EPLEÏ company. This first service will be completed and enriched progressively, with features using in particular artificial intelligence, and new products such as a geographic information system (GIS) and an interactive map.
Improving the methods of High Definition mapping generation for autonomous vehicle localization
A new CNES-VEDECOM project has just started. It aims to create a reference map by using test routes in the city of Versailles. Thanks to a contract with GEOSAT, specialized in mobile mapping and expert in high precision cartography. Objective: to improve the methods of cartography creation and autonomous vehicle location developed for several years at VEDECOM, in order to offer technological solutions and generate massive adoption.
Using satellite pictures for autonomous vehicle
In the end, this partnership enabled VEDECOM to improve its methods of locating autonomous vehicles and CNES to support a concrete and value-added use of space for the field of mobility, not to mention the creation of the start-up EPLEÏ ! Obviously, space industry has its part to play in the field of mobility and especially in the deployment of autonomous vehicles. After these first dynamic and productive steps, CNES and VEDECOM are considering another project related to the analysis of logistics infrastructure by using satellite images: to be continued…
To go further : Discover Connect by CNES, a tool created by CNES to set up links with start-ups, economic and institutional players, in order to facilitate access to space science and its benefits.
Légende : Creation of a reference HD mapping CNES, GEOSAT and VEDECOM. Dense lidar data processing steps, from raw data to classification. Data from VEDECOM test circuits in the city of Versailles.
Retour sur la table ronde France AutoTech du 15 octobre dernier qui rassemblait des représentants de l’Etat, de la recherche et de l’entrepreneuriat sur le thème suivant :
VEHICULE AUTONOME | Passer (enfin !) de l’expérimentation au marché
Etait présent :
Philippe Watteau, Directeur Général de l’institut VEDECOM
Anne-Marie Idrac, Haute responsable pour la stratégie de développement des véhicules autonomes, Gouvernement Français
Michaël Fernandez-Ferri, VP of Product chez Goggo Network
Bruno Mendes Da Silva, CEO at Heex Technologies
Il était nécessaire au préalable de préciser le piège sémantique autour de l’expression « véhicule autonome ».
En matière d’innovation, il existe des approches incrémentales passant par les ADAS, et d’autres qui vont directement au véhicule autonome, objectif visé par certains navettistes français comme le précise Philippe Watteau.
Ce dernier revient sur l’enjeu primordial de la confiance à développer collectivement, résumé par l’acronyme TRUST, présenté dans le livre Piloter le véhicule autonome. Celle-ci passe par une approche systémique qui comprend les territoires : « on ne fera pas sans eux », insiste-t-il. Il est temps de passer à de véritables démonstrateurs, complète Anne-Marie Idrac.
La France et l’Europe sont-elles à la traîne ? Le sujet fait débat.
Pour Anne-Marie Idrac, la France est assez leader et possède de grands opérateurs qui la différencient.
Sur la question de la donnée, P. Watteau annonce la création prochaine d’une entreprise qui apportera un bien commun majeur.
A suivre bientôt aussi : la grande consultation nationale menée par Anne-Marie Idrac.
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