Driverless cars edge closer to reality in Oz

The groundwork is already being laid for autonomous cars in Australia, with machine-readable map data ready to roll for 90 per cent of local roads, says the company tasked with the assignment.

Based on the Sensoris open-data standard backed by Daimler AG, Jaguar Land Rover, TomTom and Bosch, the mapping data has been compiled by Here APAC, the local arm of a 'cloud company', Here. Sensoris is supported by 11 vehicle manufacturers and parts suppliers so far, and is expected to be an essential element in 'Vehicle to Cloud' communications that will underpin autonomous motoring in future. The other companies lending their support are Aisin AW, Continental, Elektrobit, Harman, Here, LG Electronics, NavInfo and Pioneer. Other companies are anticipated to get on board in coming months.

"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," says Here APAC Director, Brent Stafford.

"In Australia, Here has already mapped over 90 per cent of the country's population areas with the high-definition machine-readable maps needed to test the new self-driving vehicles. In addition to the various sensors such as Lidar, cameras, and ultrasonics required in driverless vehicles, the map is a critical 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, sending, receiving, interpreting and responding to live route conditions in real-time.

"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.

"Sharing of the data can apply to all modes of transport including bikes, buses, trams, 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."

Stafford's examples present a riposte to one argument mounted by the FCAI against bringing in parallel imports.

Sensoris yesterday received the approval of Ertico - ITS Europe, a public/private partnership dedicated to the further development of an autonomous road system throughout Europe. Over several months Here has been in discussion with Ertico and mapping data companies in Europe, the USA and Asia to adopt Sensoris as the common mapping standard.

"Defining a standardised interface for exchanging information between the in-vehicle sensors and a dedicated cloud as well as between clouds will enable broad access, delivery and processing of vehicle sensor data; enable easy exchange of vehicle sensor data between all players, and finally enable enriched location based services which are key for mobility services as well as for automated driving," says Ertico CEO, Hermann Meyer.

It's not the first time Ertico has adopted new technology developed by Here. In 1999 Here patented 'Electronic Horizon', which subsequently formed the basis for ADASIS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Interface Specifications) – a medium for environmental data such as live traffic information to adjust vehicle operating systems like adaptive cruise control on the fly for safety and fuel efficiency. Ertico promoted ADASIS as a global standard for future road transport technology.