Roadmap and challenges towards autonomous driving and cooperative safety

During the last decade, the field of ADAS has been in a constant evolution, in terms of technology and performances, and recently in terms of cost reduction to allow larger scale application. This trend will only increase, driven by market expectations, consumerist and regulatory requirements. The next challenges in the ADAS domain will be driving automation and cooperative functions supported by V2x communication. Such applications will only be possible under several conditions. First, information sources will have to be robust and safe in all circumstances, in order to achieve high-quality knowledge of the environment. Decision making will rely on highly-specialized algorithms, and vehicle + driver models which are being developed. Furthermore, due to the potential dangerous consequences in case of inappropriate actions, specific design and validation rules have to be applied. These elements represent a huge evolution of conception methodology and are key for the success of future systems. To make progress in this field, a collaborative approach is necessary between all partners: OEMs, suppliers, research institutes and public authorities. The new VeDeCom Institute, which encompasses an ambitious program on autonomous driving and cooperative safety, illustrates the wish of all the players involved to investigate this field.