Press invitationCooperative Driving

May 7th, 2009

PRESS INFORMATION

Helmond, May 2009

Grand Cooperative Driving Challange accelerates

the introduction of cooperative driving

Cooperative driving is a promising technology for reducing traffic jams, limiting CO2 emissions and reducing traffic accidents. Cooperative systems offer the drivers, road authorities and the infrastructure more information about the vehicles, their location, their intention and the road conditions - there is connectivity between vehicles, and between vehicles and roadside infrastructure. This enables more efficient and safer traffic as well as early warnings for upcoming traffic situations (like incidents and hazards). Companies in Europe, the United States and Japan have demonstrated state-of-the art individual technologies, however there is a lack of uniform standards and protocols which the Grand Cooperative Driving Challenge, GCDC, also hopes to develop and promote via this challenge.

The GCDC aims to accelerate the introduction of cooperative vehicle technologies to contribute significantly to the alleviation of traffic problems and improved traffic safety. Teams from all over the world will be competing to deliver the most effective cooperative driving system. HTAS, a Dutch Innovation Programme and TNO, Dutch research institute, are organizing the challenge. The challenge will consist of several scenarios in which vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communications and cooperative behaviors will be evaluated to demonstrate improved safety on the road and a reduction in travel time over congested highways. A prize pool of approximately 500.000 euro's has been established. The challenge begins in 2009 with this workshop and the finals are scheduled for 2011. In March 2010, a GCDC demonstration will be conducted as part of an intelligent vehicles exposition in Amsterdam. The finals will take place on a specially-equipped public road network on the A270 between the cities of Eindhoven and Helmond (for further information: www.gcdc.nl).

Participants

Registration for the challenge is open to universities, companies and knowledge institutes. This challenge gives them the opportunity to develop new technologies and demonstrate them in real-life situations. Participants will compete with some of the most highly respected R&D teams from around the world, and success will be noted not only by the media and the public at large, but also by government and industry.

HTAS and TNO are the initiators of the challenge. In the Netherlands, congestion is a national problem; traffic jams are all over the country. Therefore, the Dutch government actively supports the introduction of intelligent vehicle technology through its traffic policies. Across the Netherlands, industry, knowledge institutes, road operators and government are all energetically cooperating to reduce our traffic problems. As an international frontrunner in cooperative driving technologies, the Netherlands will make this challenge a success.

GCDC Workshops

On May 14th 2009 the first in a series of workshops will be held in Helmond. This workshop will focus on: the GCDC objectives, participant requirements, rules, communication protocols, and sponsorship opportunities. International keynote speakers like Harry Berman (Airborne Technologies - Military R&D, Unmanned Aircraft and former program manager Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)) and Shinsuke Suzuki (Director Technology Research & Engineering Dept Nissan Technical Centre Europe) will be presenting.

Press contact

For further information please contact Monique Staals, Communications Specialist TNO Business Unit Automotive, +31 40 265 05 48 or by e-mail

About HTAS

High Tech Automotive Systems is a Dutch automotive innovation program empowered by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs together with industry, knowledge institutes and university partners. The focus areas of HTAS are Driving Guidance and Efficient Vehicles. In addition HTAS has an ‘Enablers' program for automotive education, knowledge transfer and business development (for further information: www.htas.nl).

About TNO

Developing, integrating and applying knowledge: it is this combination that differentiates TNO from other knowledge institutions. By encouraging the effective interplay of knowledge areas, TNO generates creative and practicable innovations: new products, services and processes, fully customized for business and government (for further information: www.tno.nl)

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