AstaZero is proud to host Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on 3 April 2020. Visit igeday.com to read more and snatch one of the last seats!

Many AI systems, especially object and segmentation algorithms, have a high demand for good datasets. These datasets are also crucial for the development of automated and connected vehicles, but today there are few open/free datasets for the automotive industry. These datasets lack equivalent HD maps, repeatability and a closed, controlled environment. Therefore, VAMLAV – Validation of Mapping and Localization for Autonomous Vehicles – will create a new dataset which includes changes in the environment, a corresponding HD map and repeatability.

The dataset to be collected at the AstaZero test center will be used for validation and testing of map generation technologies and localization/positioning systems, using Zenuity vehicles equipped with various sensors. VAMLAV will also enable further research by making the dataset free and open to interested parties, by having AI Innovation of Sweden handle distribution. The transparent VAMLAV dataset enables other research areas, such as track planning, detection of environmental changes (weather, moving objects) and facilitates crowdsourcing etc. This provides an update and optimization of the maps currently held by Mapillary.

After project completion, VAMLAV aims at enabling other parties to contribute to the dataset at AstaZero’s Rural Road test track, thereby promoting research of crowdsourced HD map generation and the ability to share datasets within a specific industry. 

VAMLAV will develop an HD map of Rural Road at AstaZero using the existing measurement infrastructure that is specifically installed at AstaZero for measuring positions and by designing and anchor points provided by RISE. VAMLAV also collects data from specific sensors for the dataset. The dataset and corresponding HD maps will then be used to generate new/other HD maps (image-based HD map) and help validate and test HD mapping generation and localization algorithms.

Project partners: AstaZero (coordinator), RISE, Zenuity, Mapillary, AI innovation of Sweden.

Project period: 1 Oct 2019 – 30 Sep 2021

Project budget: MSEK 11.5 of which 50% from Vinnova’s FFI program under contract no 2019-03097.

Automated vehicles are predicted be able to provide both safer and more sustainable transport on European roads. The research project HEADSTART will develop test methods to demonstrate that the functions used in automated driving are sufficiently secure.

Security is a basic prerequisite for automated driving and research is needed to solve complex issues. The HEADSTART (Harmonised European Solutions for Testing Automated Road Transport) project aims at the functions related to positioning, communication between vehicles and cybersecurity. For the automated functions to be safe enough, all these three characteristics must be reliable.

The project is a collaboration between partners from nine European countries and will last for three years, 2019 – 2021. The Swedish participants Chalmers University of Technology, RISE, AstaZero, Volvo Group and Veoneer gather within SAFER, Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers.

The HEADSTART project strengthens the SAFER project portfolio for research in automated driving. Research becomes important for the continued work to contribute to a safe and sustainable transport system where future automated vehicles will have a key role, says Magnus Granström, SAFER’s director.

The project will compile existing test methods and tools, while taking into consideration the views of authorities, vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders throughout Europe. The goal is to achieve coherence around four test cases.

The Swedish partners are researching, among other things, the requirements that can be imposed on automated vehicles in different scenarios, and how this is linked to the technical requirements of vehicle equipment. In conclusion, the SAFER partners will conduct a demonstration of how the safety of this technology can be adequately evaluated. This demonstration will take place at AstaZero.

The research is funded by EU’s Horizon 2020 by EUR 6 million. Visit the project website at https://www.headstart-project.eu.

Take the opportunity to meet our crew and discuss future automated and connected mobility at MWC Barcelona 25 – 28 February 2019!

We want to talk to you about future scenarios, and what is needed for future connected and autonomous vehicles, where AstaZero’s role is to be at the forefront and pioneer testing. You will find us at 2O60, hosted by Ericsson.

AstaZero collaborates with Ericsson to let visitors at the largest mobile event in the world experience remote driving of a truck, the Einride T-pod, at the AstaZero test facilities in Sweden, via Ericsson’s network.

The cooperation with Ericsson is a good match aiming to solve future transport, since it combines the skills of AstaZero in automotive with telecom competence of Ericsson.

AstaZero is the leading test bed facility for the future autonomous transport system. Based in Sweden and owned by RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and Chalmers University of Technology, AstaZero has now been accredited by Euro NCAP to perform tests of active safety systems and automated driving for vehicle manufacturers. With its focus on the autonomous transport system of tomorrow, the test bed facility becomes unique in the world.

Read the full press release

The new test track “Super Multilane” is now open for testing. Delegates from the City of Borås, industrial partners, owners, PEAB and AstaZero cut the opening band today, only nine months after the construction start. It is an amazing work done by all parties!