Hi-DRIVE
Improving intelligent vehicle technologies.
EU-funded Hi-Drive aims to push automated driving further towards high automation. The goal is to make driving automation robust and reliable by taking intelligent vehicle technologies to conditions and scenarios neither extensively tested nor demonstrated earlier in European and overseas traffic. Hi-Drive addresses a number of key challenges which are currently hindering the progress of developments in vehicle automation. The project’s ambition is to considerably extend the operational design domain from the present situation, which frequently demands interventions from the human driver. With these aims, Hi-Drive associates a consortium of 41 European partners covering the main impact areas which affect users and the transport system, and enhance societal benefits. The project work includes outreach activities on business innovation and standardisation.
Objective
Hi-Drive addresses a number of key challenges which are currently hindering the progress of developments in vehicle automation. The key aim of the project is to focus on testing and demonstrating automated driving, by improving intelligent vehicle technologies, to cover a large set of traffic environments, not currently achievable.
Hi-Drive enables testing of a variety of functionalities, from motorway chauffeur to urban chauffeur, explored in diverse scenarios with heterogeneous driving cultures across Europe. In particular, the Hi-Drive trials will consider European TEN-T corridors and urban nodes in large and medium cities, with a specific attention to demanding, error-prone, conditions.
The project’s ambition is to considerably extend the operational design domain (ODD) from the present situation, which frequently demands interventions from the human driver. Therefore, the project concept builds on reaching a widespread and continuous ODD, where automation can operate for longer periods and interoperability is assured across borders and brands. The project also investigates what factors influence user behaviour and acceptance, as well as understanding the needs of other road users interacting with these vehicles. The removal of fragmentation in the ODD is expected to give rise to a gradual transition from a conditional operation towards higher levels of automated driving.
With these aims, Hi-Drive associates a consortium of 41 European partners with a wide range of interests and capabilities covering the main impact areas which affect users, and the transport system, and enhance societal benefits. The project intends to contribute towards market deployment of automated systems by 2030. All this cannot be achieved by testing only. Accordingly, the work includes outreach activities on business innovation and standardization, plus extended networking with the interested stakeholders, coordinating parallel activities in Europe and overseas.
TU Delft and DiTTlab involvement
Led by Dr. ir. Simeon Calvert, and includes Prof Dr. Marjan Hagenzieker and Dr. ir. Riender Happee. Involves 3 PostDoc researchers focussed on road traffic impacts and driver user impacts.
Expected start and end dates: July 2021 – June 2025