The missing piece in automated transport may be the control room
Much of the discussion around automated vehicles focuses on the vehicle itself. Sensors. Software. Artificial intelligence. But when something unexpected happens, who steps in?
As automated vehicles move closer to large-scale deployment, attention is increasingly turning to a less visible part of the system: the remote operation centre.
The new DREAM project, now part of SAFER's partner project portfolio, will explore how such centres can be designed, built and operated to support connected and automated vehicles safely in real traffic.
The project brings together expertise from industry, academia and public organisations to address a range of practical questions. What information does a remote operator need to make the right decision? How should responsibilities be divided between vehicle and operator? What requirements should apply to certification, communication systems and human-machine interaction?
Rather than focusing on a single vehicle, DREAM looks at the wider system needed to manage automated transport services at scale.
The project is a continuation of the REDO2 initiative and includes partners from across Sweden, including VTI, Ericsson, KTH, Lund University, RISE, Smart Eye, AstaZero and several technology companies.
For the SAFER network, the project offers a natural meeting point between research on human factors, safety principles and automated mobility. The questions being studied are not only technical. They concern trust, responsibility and how people interact with increasingly automated transport systems.
We wish the team all the best in their research ahead!
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PROJECT FACTS
- Project: DREAM (Design and Deployment of a Control Center for Remote Automated Vehicles Management)
- Purpose: To develop and evaluate a remote operation centre that can support connected and automated vehicles, enabling safer large-scale deployment of automated transport services.
- Duration: November 2025 – January 2029
- Funding: Vinnova, FFI program
- Budget: SEK 26.6 million
- Coordinator / Contact: Maytheewat Aramrattana, VTI
- Partners: VTI, Alkit, AstaZero, CDE, Ericsson, FleetMQ, Ictech, KTH, Lund University, Region Stockholm, RISE, Smart Eye and TCN.
