Press Release
Telecom providers, AI engineers and vehicle manufacturers around the world are working together to embrace an increasingly interconnected and complex vehicle ecosystem. As international 3G networks are decommissioned, traffic, business and mission-critical systems (i.e. police, ambulances, fire brigade) face the challenge of upgrading and adapting their systems to ensure seamless integration with 6G infrastructure and technologies. AstaZero is now launching a unique system enabling communication reliability between vehicles to reach 99.999%, thus marking the biggest breakthrough in vehicle testing for a generation.
Virtually every new car, truck and bus sold today is equipped with a host of sensors needed to support drivers (e.g. emergency breaking, lane keeping, etc) and technology allowing drivers to receive information about, for example, road or traffic conditions. The next generation of critical communication scenarios – V2X (“vehicle to everything”) enables vehicles to share the information from its sensors, cameras and internal systems with other vehicles, nearby pedestrians, road infrastructure and Smart City systems. This will unlock the full potential of this ecosystem and allow AI-enabled and non-AI-enabled vehicles to interact with each other within EDGE networks.
EDGE computing is a model that places computing resources (e.g. processing power, data storage and applications) closer to the devices or users that are consuming or generating data. In regards self-driving, EDGE computing allows cars to react to real-time information from sensors without waiting for data to be processed in a distant data centre. By processing data locally, edge computing reduces the need to send data to a central cloud for processing, which can improve bandwidth, latency, energy usage, privacy and crucially, reliability. Providing 99.999%, reliability requires that not only will tests on the individual sensor level be required, but also on integrated and collaborative systems, a task which have been virtually impossible until now. This is a critical step forward in the journey for autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and connected societies, as it allows virtual objects and situations to be tested in scenarios limited solely by the engineer’s imagination and vehicle technology.
The future vehicle ecosystem is undoubtedly 100% connected. Wireless connectivity will enable vehicles to interact and communicate with surrounding infrastructure, allowing signals, for example, to stop or redirect traffic in favour of an emergency vehicle on route to an emergency. The launch of the new AstaZero facilities heralds a new era for the automotive industry whilst reinventing proving ground testing as we know it. In a future where highly automated traffic systems not only enhances safety but also enables vehicles and infrastructure to communicate seamlessly, the intelligent test network featuring EDGE computing will help to optimize traffic flows, reduce congestion, minimizes emissions and ultimately transform urban mobility into a smoother, more efficient experience for all – i.e. Smart City Traffic Management.
In live tests of complex traffic scenarios, the new system uses orchestration tools to manage and
communicate critical data including exact positioning and control signalling to and between different objects during tests, including self-driving vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, motorbikes and physical infrastructure, including traffic signals. The increased adoption of drone technology, particularly in urban settings, will also benefit from the ability and reliability to test a multitude of scenarios hitherto impossible.
AstaZero proving ground is the only open and neutral test location in Europe, if not the world, where transport tests with this level of advanced technology is made available to any brand, enabling unique and unbiased data testing for all.
“In the future, communication might not always originate from the sensors on the vehicle itself, but instead from sensors mounted on connected infrastructure or from the sensors of another vehicle. In these types of systems, three key factors are crucial: reliability, ultra-fast communication and intelligent decision-making. However, the bitter truth is that without a global, harmonious and integrated testing approach, there is no guarantee that vehicles and infrastructure will have the capabilities to enable the highest level of safety with complete confidence within this connected ecosystem.” said Peter Janevik, CEO, RISE AstaZero.
The primary reason for testing new vehicles and traffic technology is to increase safety and reliability. As vehicle manufacturers innovate to reduce accidents, the need to test new technology to its absolute limits is key if they are to become commercially viable. A safer vehicle and pedestrian ecosystem will be a significant outcome of the technology tested at AstaZero. studies show that accidents across European cities are on the rise, particularly involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. The decreasing number of road accidents in Europe has flattened out. From 2019, the decrease in fatalities plunged from a 10 percent to a 1 percent reduction in 2023. The test facility will directly address this by ultimately improving the communications whilst decreasing the latency between vehicles and the infrastructure ecosystem that underpins it.
