Cars that drive themselves can become a reality within ten years

[xcel]

Volvo’s SARTRE program could remove the driver from the equation... And a bad idea at that.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Oct. 23, 2009

An 18-wheeler in a close-in while on the 48-Contiguous State drive last year.

Close in drafting with the lead still in control of the parade? The weak link is and always be that lead driver and what is up ahead or to the side...

A new EU project SARTRE is being launched to develop and test technology for vehicles that can drive themselves in long road trains on motorways. This technology has the potential to improve traffic flow and journey times, offer greater comfort to drivers, reduce accidents, and improve fuel consumption and hence lower CO2 emissions.

Just imagine leaving home in the morning and, just after joining the motorway, meeting up with a number of other cars which inch up to each other, travelling at normal speed in a close-formation convoy. After a few minutes you can let go of the steering wheel and spend your time reading the morning paper, talking on the phone or watching the TV, while your car drives itself in complete safety and also saving fuel! A vision of a motoring Utopia?

Not if you believe today's researchers who suggest that road trains can become reality within a decade.

The automotive industry has long been focused on the development of active safety systems that operate preventively, such as traction control and braking assistance programs. But automakers have also gone much further in proposing technology that allows vehicles to be operated without any input whatsoever from the person behind the wheel. Known as autonomous driving, this technology means that the vehicles is able to take control over acceleration, braking and steering, and can be used as part of a road train of similarly controlled vehicles.

The first test cars equipped with this technology will roll on test tracks as early as 2011. The vehicles will be equipped with a navigation system and a transmitter/receiver unit that communicates with a lead vehicle. Since the system is built into the cars, there is no need to extend the infrastructure along the existing road network.

Lead vehicle

The idea is that each road train or platoon will have a lead vehicle that drives exactly as normal, with full control of all the various functions. This lead vehicle is driven by an experienced driver who is thoroughly familiar with the route. For instance, the lead may be taken by a taxi, a bus or a truck. Each such road train will consist of six to eight vehicles.

A driver approaching his destination takes over control of his own vehicle, leaves the convoy by exiting off to the side and then continues on his own to his destination. The other vehicles in the road train close the gap and continue on their way until the convoy splits up.

Advantages

The advantage of such road trains is that all the other drivers in the convoy have time to get on with other business while on the road, for instance when driving to or from work. The road trains increase safety and reduce environmental impact thanks to lower fuel consumption compared with cars being driven individually. The reason is that the cars in the train are close to each other, exploiting the resultant lower air drag. The energy saving is expected to be in the region of 20 percent. Road capacity will also be able to be utilized more efficiently.

"The SARTRE project brings together a unique mix of technologies, skills and expertise from European industry and academia, with the aim of encouraging the development of safe and environmentally effective road trains," explains Tom Robinson, SARTRE project coordinator, of Ricardo UK Ltd. "By developing and implementing the technology at a vehicle level, SARTRE aims to realize the potentially very significant safety and environmental benefits of road trains without the need to invest in changes to road infrastructure."

"I do appreciate that many people feel this sounds like Utopia", says Erik Coelingh, technical director of Active Safety Functions at Volvo Cars. However, this type of autonomous driving actually doesn't require any hocus-pocus technology, and no investment in infrastructure. Instead, the emphasis is on development and on adapting technology that is already in existence. In addition, we must carry out comprehensive testing to verify our high demands on safety."

Researchers see road trains primarily as a major benefit to commuters who cover long distances by motorway every day, but they will also be of potential benefit to trucks, buses, coaches vans and other commercial vehicle types.

As the participants meet, each vehicle's navigation system is used to join the convoy, where the autonomous driving program then takes over. As the road train approaches its final destination, the various participants can each disconnect from the convoy and continue to drive as usual to their individual destinations.

The SARTRE project stands for Safe Road Trains for the Environment. Part-funded by the European Commission under the Framework 7 program, SARTRE will be led by Ricardo UK Ltd and will comprise a collaboration between the following additional participating companies: Idiada and Robotiker-Tecnalia of Spain, Institut für Kraftfahrwesen Aachen (IKA) of Germany, and SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Volvo Car Corporation and Volvo Technology of Sweden.

SARTRE aims to encourage a step change in personal transport usage through the development of safe environmental road trains (platoons). Systems will be developed in prototype form that will facilitate the safe adoption of road trains on un-modified public highways with full interaction with non-platoon vehicles.

The project will address the 3 cornerstone transportation issues of environment, safety and congestion while at the same time encouraging driver acceptance through the prospect of increased "driver comfort".

The objectives of SARTRE can be summarized as follows:

1. To define a set of acceptable platooning strategies that will allow road trains to operate on public highways without changes to the road and roadside infrastructure.
   
   
2. To enhance, develop and integrate technologies for a prototype platooning system such that the defined strategies can be assessed under real world scenarios.
   
   
3. To demonstrate how the use of platoons can lead to environmental, safety and congestion improvements.
   
   
4. To illustrate how a new business model can be used to encourage the use of platoons with benefits to both lead vehicle operators and to platoon subscribers.

If successful, the benefits from SARTRE are expected to be significant. The estimated fuel consumption saving for high speed highway operation of road trains is in the region of 20 percent depending on vehicle spacing and geometry. Safety benefits will arise from the reduction of accidents caused by driver action and driver fatigue. The utilization of existing road capacity will also be increased with a potential consequential reduction in journey times. For users of the technology, the practical attractions of a smoother, more predicable and lower cost journey which offers the opportunity of additional free time, will be considerable.

The SARTRE project formally started in September 2009 and will run for a total of three years.

2 drivers in the Audi Marathon pulling a road train although it had nothing to do with safety

[GrnHrnt]

An interesting idea perhaps, but why not invest in real trains instead?

[bomber991]

Originally Posted by GrnHrnt

An interesting idea perhaps, but why not invest in real trains instead?

That's europe, don't they already have real trains?

[Mr. Pancake]

What a bad idea.
So the lead driver has a heart attack, veers off the road into a ravine and all the other cars follow and no one has time to react because they're all reading the paper or whatever.
Or, the lead driver is a poor driver and they reduce the fuel efficiency of the entire "train".
If you can't be bothered with driving then take a bus, taxi, train etc.

[St. Mushroom]

I don't see how this will reduce fatigue when most of us crazy Americans will probably use the time to telecommute during the commute, extending work hours further.

[Elixer]

I think this could work, but it's clear that the leader would need special training and certification. I certainly wouldn't put my car to follow just any driver out there on the road.

[Chuck]

Making the huge assumption the software has zero bugs, how is it going to anticipate cars like an Acura TL weaving by me like it had just been stolen?

[basjoos]

I'd be concerned about large debris (shredded truck tires, lumber, etc.) on the highway. The lead driver dodges it, but will the following automatons do likewise? Also what happens when the lead driver gets surprised by a patch of black ice?

[hobbit]

Much better efforts could be spent training/enforcing within the
situation we have now and will for a long time to come, e.g.
individual responsibility for each of many moving parts which
must nonetheless coordinate in a reasonable fashion ... and what
I see on the roads now is pretty unreasonable so that part of
it is seriously lacking. Trying to dream up utopian bluesky
control methodologies isn't going to help any time soon.
.
_H*

[drimportracing]

This doesn't seem too well thought out yet. I say encourage the development because it could lead to better safety innovations even if it isn't for the intended SARTRE project.

With commercial pilots over flying destinations while on laptops, train conductors and bus drivers texting while driving, some causing serious accidents who would you want leading these trains of cars? These are all so called professional drivers.

Perhaps a nonprofessional driver like the lady who killed the motorcyclist at an intersection because she was doing her nails would be a lead vehicle in the SARTRE train one day?

Putting your trust in another's ability to get you were you wanna go is hard enough within the confines of your own vehicle, There are just some people you just don't want to drive your car and you know them.

How could you allow a stranger to have that responsibility? Someone you may never see, who isn't a professionally trained driver or is but gets too comfortable behind the wheel and forgets to be mindful. What about one of the sick individuals in the news this past week, the murdering rapist with the dead bodies in his home, the Ft Hood pyscho, how would you like to be in tail with one of these individuals? You could end up off a cliff or on a secluded secondary road with a serious nutcase if your not paying the proper attention that this SARTRE wishes to free you from. - Dale