Connected driverless vehicles are one step closer to reality with a global standard “language” for vehicle-to-cloud data agreed to by more than 11 major automotive manufacturers and suppliers.
The open data standard called Sensoris, originally developed by location cloud company Here, has the backing of industry heavyweights such as Bosch, Daimler, Jaguar Land Rover and TomTom.
Here APAC director Brent Stafford says, “The Sensoris data standard will enable driverless connected vehicles to prepare for changing conditions and hazards well before the vehicle, be it a truck or car, can see them.
“In addition to the various sensors such as Lidar, Cameras and ultrasonics required in driverless vehicles, the map is a virtual sensor which provides vital information to the vehicle about the road and terrain ahead and what it is likely to encounter over the hill or around the corner where the sensors cannot currently ‘see’.
“But driverless vehicles need more than just these sensors to provide a smooth and safe driving experience. They need to communicate with all other vehicles on the road by sending, receiving, interpreting and responding to live route conditions in real time.”
Stafford explains that by speaking a universal data language, in the future a German built autonomous truck driving down an Australian highway will be able to warn a driverless Japanese sedan and US made SUV following close behind to slow down or change lanes because of a wombat or mob of kangaroos near the road ahead. “Or perhaps a Holden parked in a busy neighbourhood could notify a BMW that has been circling nearby that a parking spot has just become available in the adjacent space,” adds Stafford.
“Sharing of the data can apply to all modes of transport including bikes, buses, tram, and trains; not just cars or trucks. To get this right, there is simply insufficient information available from one car brand or model, and to enjoy the huge benefits of the new innovation and its reduction in emissions and congestion, we have to think both in a new scale and collaboratively.”
