Bringing the connected vehicle vision closer to reality

C-ITS for the protection of vulnerable road users

To expand the safety benefits of C-ITS, the German joint project Ko-TAG focuses on the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using V2X technology. In this project a cooperative sensor system is developed which combines the advantages of non cooperative onboard sensors (e.g. radar) and C-ITS for the protection of vulnerable road users. The cooperative sensor system consists of a localisation unit integrated into vehicles and cooperative transponders. The transponders are carried by vulnerable road users, e.g. pedestrians. A secondary radar principle based on communication signals between localisation units and transponders enables localisation of objects with simultaneous data transmission. Data exchange between vulnerable road users and vehicles in the 5.9GHz band allows for a clear classification of the type of road user. The detection, classification and exact localisation of vulnerable road users ? even under non Line-of-Sight conditions ? enable a new level of vehicle environment perception.

The transmitted data provides valuable information about the pedestrian like acceleration or movement state which cannot be measured directly by a sensor from the vehicle side. The radiolocation is realised by a distance and angle measurement between the localisation unit and the transponder. The distance is calculated using a Time-of-Flight (TOF) measurement. For the angle measurement phase differences of the received transponder signal are evaluated at different antenna elements.

The major goal of the project Ko-TAG is an evaluation of the cooperative sensor technology in complex scenarios for different safety applications. Therefore the bandwidth requirements for a reliable cooperative localisation even in strong multi-path environments will be determined. Considering the relevant standards in C-ITS the developed cooperative sensor system represents a possible extension adding localisation functionality to V2X communication solutions.

Experts from research facilities, the automotive industry, infrastructure manufacturers, road operators and authorities agree that the connected vehicle is an inevitable element of an efficient and safe future mobility. Due to the joint efforts of all these parties involved in research, development and implementation of C-ITS, the imagination of the remote future comes closer to reality.

What is next for C-ITS development?

Cooperative systems are composed of ITS stations built in vehicles and infrastructure via the wireless communication channel, data analysis at receiver side and display on the HMI. It has to be ensured that the devices from various manufacturers supplied in different regions are able to exchange data, transmit it in a certain quality and analyse it with identical outcomes ? simply put, they need to be speaking the same language. Due to large-scale field trials like in the European project DRIVE C2X, the German pilot project simTD or the French Score@F, the basic conditions of interoperability have been defined. The European Commission has mandated the European Standardisation Organisations ETSI and CEN to identify, develop and freeze the minimum set of standards guaranteeing the interoperability of cooperative systems for the Day One ? the first implementation phase in which a fundamental system shall support an agreed basic set of services. Both organisations are expected to finalise these standards during 2013.

Those standardisation activities have been intensively supported by the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium, an industrial-driven, non-profit Consortium initiated by European vehicle manufacturers and supported by suppliers and research organisations. At an earlier date, the consortium has al-ready initiated the allocation of the frequency spectrum in 5.9 Ghz range for safety related cooperative ITS in Europe ? a corner stone paving the way for cooperative systems in real traffic. Another major decision has just been taken: The twelve vehicle manufacturers are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on deployment of C-ITS. They hereby signal their intentions towards joint deployment of C-ITS starting in 2015 and that they will develop their individual solutions applying agreed and specified standards, performance requirements, security and privacy principles.

Expanding C-ITS Community

Identifying all stakeholders along the value chain of C-ITS is almost impossible as the opportunities for C-ITS-supported services are infinite and will become clearer after deployment. The C-ITS com-munity gets wider as key players invest heavily in networking different stakeholder groups from all around the world. One example is the European supportive action COMeSafety2 in which ten project partners from the automotive industry, research facilities and road authorities aim at fostering the standardisation and especially the international harmonisation to prepare the deployment of C-ITS. Recently COMeSafety2 organised the 8th International Workshop on Vehicle Communications for Safety and Sustainability (VCSS). This workshop embodies a platform for experts, particularly from Europe, the US and Japan to discuss ways in which C-ITS standards have to be harmonised for an area-covering deployment. It is supported by the European Commission as well as the US-American Department of Transportation and the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The close contact between representatives from the three regions is a success story as it has become evident that all parties benefit from knowledge transfer and exchange of experience. One example is the successful harmonisation of US-American BSM1 (Basic Safety Message) and European CAM (Co-operative Awareness Message) sets which was recently presented at the 19th ITS World Congress in Vienna: Two cars representing an European and an US-American vehicle exchanged an emergency electronic brake light warning due to the ability of switching between EU and US modes.