News

In a new move towards advancing road safety, the recently funded I2Connect project focuses on the evolution of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The project aims to comprehensively assess safety by integrating car-to-cloud capabilities, external sensing inputs, and driver monitoring, creating a prototype ADAS system that not only enhances real-time risk detection but also refines driver information and warnings.

Driven by alarming statistics surrounding rear-end collisions involving heavy trucks (HGVs) and cars, as well as intersection collisions between heavy trucks and cyclists, I2Connect is on a mission to address these common accidents head-on. Despite representing only 3% of traffic volume, HGVs were involved in a staggering 45,000 crashes, contributing to 14.2% of fatal crashes in Europe.

I2Connect will identify relevant scenarios, collect data from various sources, and pioneer fusion methods to distribute a cloud-based risk assessment to vehicles on the road. Demonstrator vehicles, including heavy trucks and equipped cars, will collect data in normal traffic situations, incorporating insights from radars, cameras, driver state, road-side traffic sensing, and weather data in a cloud environment.

I2Connect delves into two common heavy truck accident scenarios: rear-end collisions with passenger cars and collisions between turning trucks and cyclists at intersections. These serve as "use cases" to create proof-of-concept prototypes, showcasing the potential for safety, efficiency, and user experience enhancements in future vehicles (2029+).

Led by the University of Skövde in collaboration with partners Scania, Smart Eye, and Viscando, the project aims to support driving levels from Level 1 (manual) up to Level 4, with a specific focus on implementing driver information and warnings, particularly for heavy goods vehicles.

Running from December 1, 2023, to May 31, 2026, the project has a total budget of about 15 msek, with 50% contribution from Vinnova.