Electronica: Lorries self-convoy through the streets of Munich

DAF trucks will drive through Munich in a nose-to-tail computer-controlled convoy – so called ‘platooning’.

“The demonstrations include platooning live on Munich roads, and traffic signal and vehicle synchronisation, with technology that protects vulnerable road users based on secure vehicle-to-everything technology [V2X, see below],” said NXP, which is involved in the demonstration.

Previously, with TNO and Ricardo (in the EcoTwin truck platooning project, pictured), DAF and NXP achieved an inter-truck distance of 0.5s and operated at 80km/h through wireless links using camera and radar systems, maintaining 11m separation distance.

The consortium is now working on 0.3s gap – 7m at 80 km/h. “In this new context, the platooning system will need to reliably react 30 times faster than a human driver, requiring communication between trucks in milliseconds,” said NXP. “Radar will detect road interferences such as cars cutting in to seamlessly adjust the distance between the trucks.”

ASIL functional safety qualified components will be used, mostly from the NXP BlueBox platform – which is literally a blue box with 90,000 DMIPS of processing, part number S32VLS2-RDB, intended to be the heart of self-driving vehicles. It includes NXP’s S32V234 automotive vision and sensor fusion processor, with a LS2085A embedded computer. Power is 40W.

V2X

Honda, Siemens, NXP, Marben, Cohda Wireless and Chemtronics are planning secure V2X demonstrations in Munich such as the detection of motorcycles for improved safety. An autonomous car built by the University of Eindhoven using NXP sensor fusion will also be at the event.