VEDECOM V2X units and MOOVE project honoured at TEQMO site inauguration

VEDECOM was present on 17 June 2019 at the inauguration of the new TEQMO site, UTAC CERAM’s testing and certification centre for self-driving cars. The Institute took this opportunity to give a sneak preview of the VEDECOM V2X validation units, which can simulate several connected vehicles. One of the nine MOOVE vehicles was also on display in front of the stand.

VEDECOM V2X simulation units: a unique solution created by the Institute’s internal team

At the inauguration of the TEQMO testing and certification centre, operated by UTAC CERAM, the VEDECOM Institute gave a preview of their connected vehicle simulation platform. The system was developed internally by the New Secured Communications and Cooperative Safety team (MOB01) in collaboration with Marben. It creates simulations of hybrid communications and, at present, integrates 4G and ITS-G5. In the long run, it should also function with 5G and Li-Fi. The platform consists of around 40 units that can simulate the behaviour of several connected vehicles. It can be remotely configured and can simulate different scenarios and situations: accidents, traffic jams, emergency braking, vehicles driving against traffic, etc. This is an innovative solution for certifying and testing the interoperability of varying V2X communication technology. This lines up perfectly with the raison d’être of the TEQMO site, especially as UTAC CERAM already uses it for its certification tests.

The demonstration involved sending accident and traffic jam alerts, among others, via the units to the self-driving cars that were on the tracks. The purpose was to test their reactions and prepare them for the upcoming inter-vehicle connectivity certification.

MOOVE vehicle exhibition: one-million-kilometre milestone achieved to collect the information needed for validating the self-driving car’s functions

The Institute also displayed one of the nine MOOVE project vehicles. The C4 Picasso and the DS7 Crossback have perception capabilities similar to self-driving cars with cameras, radars and lidars, but are still operated by human drivers. The aim was to have them drive in all types of weather and in all types of location in order to record as much data as possible about varying driving situations that a vehicle might face, and, in particular, identify the risk situations for self-driving cars. Since 2016, they have recorded the equivalent of one million kilometres in 17 European countries. This took about 15,000 driving hours and generated 250 terabytes of data. Analysing this information will aid car manufacturers to specify and validate the control laws for self-driving cars. This project also perfectly corresponds with the inaugurated site and its 12km of testing and certification tracks, since it will use the data obtained in real-life conditions during the tests to come.