Safety Concept for Automated Trucks Presented

With the results of ATLAS-L4 (Automated Transport between Logistics Centers on Highways at Level 4), the consortium of industry, science, software development, and infrastructure has now presented a safety concept for automated trucks in road traffic. The experts from TÜV SÜD are involved as the testing authority.

(Munich) As the testing organization, TÜV SÜD serves as the link between industry and research as well as the authorities that will ultimately approve autonomous trucks for road traffic. Among other tasks, TÜV SÜD experts are responsible for validating the simulations used for safety arguments through tests with real vehicles on the testing grounds. As the only independent neutral testing organization in ATLAS-L4, TÜV SÜD underscores its global leadership role in autonomous driving. The project, which started three years ago, has been funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

“We are very pleased to have been involved in this important project from the very beginning. With the help of our testing infrastructure, we have developed systems and a safety concept that will serve as the basis for standards in the development of autonomously driving commercial vehicles in Hub2Hub operations in the future,” says Emmeram Klotz, Head of Testing, Global Homologation Service in the Mobility Division of TÜV SÜD, adding: “We are ready to bring the first autonomously driving vehicles onto the road!”

Comprehensive Expertise

TÜV SÜD’s expertise includes not only type approval but also functional safety, Safety of the Intended Function (SOTIF), cybersecurity, and testing on roads and testing grounds. A new aspect of autonomous driving is that regulations now allow for a much broader use of simulations for type approval than before. It must also be ensured that the processes, infrastructure, and management systems used meet the requirements. According to Klotz, it is important in the development of trucks to consider all requirements and legal regulations for later approval from the very beginning. “For example, seemingly small details in the operational area can have very large impacts on the requirements: cobblestones, toll barriers, tunnels, and so on. These are also points that must be integrated into the development from the start. Otherwise, the truck will simply stop in front of the tunnel,” explains Emmeram Klotz.

Ready to Support Manufacturers

It may sound trivial, but even with such points, TÜV SÜD experts have years of experience in testing highly automated vehicles – and that around the globe. TÜV SÜD has been significantly involved in understanding and identifying the relevance of dangerous factors to draw conclusions about the whole and thus determine and validate the necessary tests for type approval. Klotz: “We know all the details required for approval and are already ready to support manufacturers in their work – from the earliest development phase. Infrastructure, testing, approval – we are ready to go!” TÜV SÜD experts have access to the test track on the A9 highway as well as the ADAC Mobility Test Center in Penzing as a testing ground that meets the special requirements of heavy-duty traffic.

ATLAS-L4 – What is it?

Bringing together research, industry, and authorities to create the foundations for the rapid development of autonomous commercial vehicles at SAE Level 4. After three years of collaborative development work, the twelve project partners from industry, science, software development, and infrastructure have achieved the first goal and laid the groundwork for autonomous trucks in road traffic.

About 150 engineers from renowned companies such as MAN Truck & Bus, KnorrBremse, Bosch, Fraunhofer AISEC, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH, and the Würzburg Institute for Traffic Sciences were involved. ATLAS-L4 has been funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and has a total budget of 59.1 million euros.

Photo: © TÜV SÜD