Research

AstaZero (Active Safety Test Area Zero) is one of the most advance full-scale test environments in the world for a safe, sustainable and connected automated road traffic future. Different traffic environments make it possible to test advanced safety systems and their functions for all kinds of traffic and traffic situations – in city environments as well as on rural, multi-lane and high-speed roads. This enables a broad range of research, development and validation. AstaZero also serves as an international testing area open for stakeholders within industry, society and academia.

Revere (Resource for Vehicle Research) is a research facility with a focus on autonomous driving, active safety and vehicle dynamics. It contains a research lab with resources such as technical equipment, test vehicles (light and heavy) and supporting personnel. Located at Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg, Revere is created to provide a platform where industry stakeholders and the academia collaborate to enable cutting edge research and break-through innovations.

The SAFER Naturalistic Driving Data platform is a secure, world-class platform for handling data from naturalistic driving data collection. Providing state-of-the-art data management, several large datasets and a leading research competence regarding naturalistic driving data, this platform gives unique access to naturalistic data derived from 7,5 million driving kilometres. The SAFER partner researchers also have access to the in-depth crash database INTACT and IGLAD (Initative for the global harmonization of accident data).

Knowledge of different datasets available in SAFER's network is important for efficient work within projects, providing new perspectives on past and present research, and being able to create completely new projects through data-driven research. To facilitate access to quality assured data, the SAFER Data Catalogue, where relevant datasets within the network are described, are available for the SAFER partners. The datasets cover different types of data, from field operational tests with a vehicle or location-based focus, real-time data described in the Swedish National Access Point (NAP), and accident databases.

Sim IV at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute has an advanced motion platform system and permits significant linear movement along both x and y axes. It is useful when simultaneous longitudinal and lateral acceleration is important or if a wide field of vision is prioritised. Cabs and passenger compartments can be exchanged quickly. The simulator's imaging system has a camera-based calibration system, making it easy to switch between different driver positions.

All SAFER partners have access to our facilities at Lindholmen Science Park in Gothenburg. The SAFER office is a meeting place with 290 sqm working area including about 15 workplaces as well as meeting rooms, analysis rooms for confidential naturalistic driving data, conference facilities and networking areas. As an open research arena, we enable our partners to join collaborative research across the disciplines in a way that make them more competitive and able to contribute to a safer traffic environment. SAFER is also connected to other open innovation activities such as DriveSweden, CLOSER, Prehospital ICT arena and AstaZero.

Within human body modelling (HBM), SAFER provides a competence platform for our partners as well as a natural contact point for external cooperation. SAFER’s HBM vision encompasses a scalable, tuneable, human body model with omni-direc¬tional injury prediction capabilities, suitable for use in high-g and low-g events and as any road user, occupant or vulnerable group. This means a virtual human substitute that can be used for predicting injury outcome in any impact situation and direction of loading, able to be morphed to replicate a large proportion of the population, standing or sitting, with humanlike kinematics in crash events as well as pre-crash manoeuvres. The SAFER HBM research combines several projects, all developing the existing model towards the overall goal of performance. The research is moving towards an open-source model, to enable wider use of the tool.

SAFER's partner the road safety organisation NTF Väst offers our researchers to use a very closely located traffic training site. Stora Holm offers various test tracks and skid pad for tests and events. Here you can drive on different surfaces such as gravel, asphalt, slippery surface and in hilly terrain. The facility's off-road course is located in a naturally area at the facility. There are also possibilities to practice driving in transverse upward and downward slopes as well as in a water-filled ditch. The facility has safety hall equipped with crash scales, a collition chair and more.

Do you have a traffic safety research idea that you would like to develop together with SAFER partners? We have an opportunity! Funding will proactively stimulate project generation with several SAFER partners involved to maximize the benefits of our multidisciplinary platform. The funding is for getting started with strategic knowledge creation that can be leveraged e.g. by using the unique, new competence as a basis for national funding or an entry ticket to prestigious international collaborations. We also welcome proposals that are of a different nature, for instance for finalization of publications from a completed project or investigation of a new area. Welcome with your application!

This program funded curiosity projects at AstaZero by providing free access to the world’s first full-scale test environment for future road safety. The programme, that was open 2016-2021, funded projects to help to stimulate and facilitate open, independent and world-leading research. The program aimed to generate openly available results and data and an inspiring network between researchers. Researchers from universities or research institutions as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could apply for test track time, workshop use, support (e.g. testing engineers, or drivers), and use of equipment.