1. Summary of the Task Force

Demonstrations are held, chiefly on R&D achievements in Europe. In Europe, a widely publicized demonstration of PROMETHEUS was held in 1994. In 1995-1996, achievements of ASV and AHS were shown in Japan. In 1997, NAHSC's achievements are demonstrated in the United States. The latest demonstration was the first large-scale show of the accomplishments in Transport Telematics Applications Program (T-TAP), the fourth research framework since PROMETHEUS and was held concurrently with the 2nd AHS Workshop (international conference).

1. Dates
AVG Demo '98: 15 (Mon.) - 19 (Fri.) June 1998
Workshop: 18 (Thurs.) - 19 (Fri.) June 1998
* AVG, which stands for Automated Vehicle Guidance, was used in the Netherlands as a term equivalent to AHS.

3. Organizer:
Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management of the Netherlands

4. Participants:
Arena discussion: Approx. 2,700 during the week Workshop: 43

Route Description to Demo'98

6. Outline of the Workshop
Compared to the First Workshop held in San Diego, USA, where issues to be resolved by road administrators were proposed, the 2nd Workshop focused on various concrete solutions of participants to achieve consensus on the direction of viable AHS development suited to each nation.

2. Reports on the Demos

(1) CHAUFFEUR Truck Platooning (Daimler-Benz, Germany)
Two Trucks platooning named "Towbar" developed chiefly by Daimler-Benz. The lead truck is driven manually. The following truck follows automatically at the speed of 100km/h, maintaining headway of roughly 8 meters. Distance with the lead vehicle and angle to the vehicle are measured and controlled with image processing technology. To assure response in headway maintenance, status on lead vehicle driving is transmitted to the following vehicle in vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Possibly because the demo vehicles were not the new ones used currently in tests, many problems, such as in the vehicles' computer system, were reported.

CHAUFFEUR Truck Platooning

(2) PATH Platooning (PATH; Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways, US)
The demo has been shown already in the 1997 highway event in San Diego. Platooning is made possible with lane markers employing magnetic nails, headway measurement by radar, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The speed was roughly 100km/h, with headway maintained at roughly 6 meters. The demonstration also included diverge from and merge into the platoon in the course of automated navigation. Progress seen since the San Diego demo was improved stability and accuracy in cruising, and greater practicality, such as in rainy conditions. Although a problem caused by inaccuracy of lane marker position was seen in sudden loss of steering control, basic cruising control in longitudinal and lateral directions improved dramatically. Solo cruising also showed improvements which will be reported. The next issue is most likely upgrading practicality in obstacle aversion.

(3) ICACAD (TNO, Netherlands)
The vehicle is equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) developed by TNO of the Netherlands, as well as lane departure warning. The demo took place at the public N11 highway nearby. Technology is on the level of development of basic functions.

(4) SAVE (EU Project)
SAVE (System for Effective Assessment of the Driver State and Vehicle Control in Emergency Situations) technology was developed for aid and detection of problems concerning the driver. It includes detection of driver problem and automatic control when detected. The demo was for automatic control when detected alone in this occasion. The system identifies the lane in case of a problem with the driver, makes lane change automatically, and bring the car to an emergency stop at the roadside. Detection of driver problem development focuses on use of a sensor on the steering wheel for image processing of face and eye changes and detection of head position to made decisions on driver status.

SAVE

(5) DARDS (Dassault Electorique, France)
Cameras installed on the car captures the environmental view of the road ahead. The ground station views the image and navigates the vehicle by remote control. Three cameras on the car provides wide-scope image data. The vehicle is navigated with a joystick. Observing vehicle control at the ground station, the vehicle was being maneuvered skillfully with a joystick that combined general control and precision control with supplementary operations including rotation. The technology was developed for military and other special applications. Similar technology is being developed in the US and Japan for remote operation of rover vehicles on the moon, Mars, and other planets and for vehicle control in high-hazard work environments in the areas of construction and nuclear energy. Vehicle positioning and tracking with differential GPS for repeated use were shown as well.

DARDS

(6) ISA (TNO, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research)
The system, named ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation), focuses on speed control on road heading toward curves and traffic congestion points. The demo was on speed control linked with speed limit signs. Control combines throttle adjustment and reverse control on the accelerator. For the driver, the gas pedal becomes heavier when in excess of the speed limit, impeding acceleration and eventually causing deceleration to approach the speed limit. A speed control signal is transmitted from roadside beacons at 5.8Ghz microwave. It is currently under review by TNO for social impact and acceptance.

(7) UDC (EC Project)
UDC (Urban Drive Control), controls vehicles by transmitting information on 5.8Ghz microwave from roadside beacons. The system consists of ACC (Automated Cruise Control with headway maintenance), stop-and-go (automatic platoon speed control in case of congestion), and TLC (Traffic Light Control; automatic stop by traffic light). The demo in the event featured stop-and-go and automatic stop with traffic light. In stop-and-go, headway with the car behind is maintained automatically as the vehicle ahead starts, cruises, and stops. However, steering control was done manually. The demo was a simple one, with the vehicle to stop right in front of a wall used in place of a stopped vehicle. TLC stops the car in front of a traffic light on the test course when the signal turns red. The car does not start (automatically) when the signal is green, unless the driver steps on the accelerator. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to judge cases accurately, as when a pedestrian appears suddenly. Control precision at present was not so high.

(8) PATH Solo (PATH, US)
Demonstration of solo car control applying PATH control technology. It featured automatic steering, acceleration, and braking control using magnetic nails as a reference signal of the lane on a customized course. Accuracy and responsibility in steering control, shown with the vehicle passing between pylons only 5cm away from the vehicle, were outstanding.

(9) INRIA Praxitale Platooning (INRIA, France)
Various automatic control features have been built into the small electric vehicle. It is a transportation system developed by France's local governments, public research organizations such as INRIA (a research organization comparable to Japan's Electrotechnical Laboratory), automakers, and electronics companies. The project approximates the small EV (electric vehicle) development plan employing ITS technology planned by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan. The system is designed for application as highly-convenient public rental vehicles to be used in urban areas. The demo was automatic platooning (with driver in the lead vehicle) for pickup of rental vehicles parked in various locations after use.

INRIA Platooning

(10) Cycab Parking (INRIA, France)
The demonstration was automated parking employing a modified version of INRIA Praxitale mentioned earlier. The vehicle is a two-person mini-car designed for use in pedestrian zones and approximates an intelligent electrical wheelchair. It is operated with a joystick. The sensors on the vehicle detects parking space and control steering, acceleration and braking for automatic parking. It is being planned for guidance to parking space based on infrastructural data and supporting accuracy in parking control.

Cycab Parking

(11) PEOPLE MOVER (FROG, Netherlands)
The system is already used for automatic guidance system shuttling people in the parking area of Amsterdam's Skipaal(?) Airport. The vehicle is guided by magnetic nails as in PATH technology. The vehicles are controlled from the operation room. The 8-seat vehicle runs at the speed of 25 km/h.

People Mover

(12) MOONCAT
DARDS (Dassault Electorique, France) technology mentioned earlier was applied on this off-road vehicle. Vehicle position is identified accurately with differential GPS for automated cruising on a designated course. The vehicle assumes application in the defense field.

(13) ADC (ADC, Germany)
ACC prototype vehicle developed by ADC, a Leica subsidiary. It is equipped with braking control added. Japanese ACC has speed control with throttle and transmission. Due to slow deceleration, headway is set at roughly 2.0 seconds for ACC. In the system, headway is approximately 1.4 seconds for minimal problem in actual driving. Due to Leica's tradition as an optical equipment maker, the company believes that it should provide driving support with environmental data detection feature that approximates human vision. It believes that the range of support that humans can tolerate is close to that range that can be detected by human vision and that detection with radar that humans cannot detect is beyond human acceptance. For this reason, it employs a laser radar.

(14) AWAY (Dassault Electoricque, France)
A laser radar vehicle with features similar to ADC's ACC technology. The level of reliability in detection and control is poor at present.

(15) A.A.P. (Daimler-Benz, Germany)
Lane-keeping demonstration by Daimler-Benz. However, the true objective of the demo vehicle is to study what combination of headway control, collision prevention, lane departure warning, and other support systems is best suited to the driver. For this reason, the level of control (perfection) for each function is low. Daimler-Benz had achieved considerably high standard of automatic cruising with VITA-II, which became famous at PROMETHEUS. The level had declined considerably in this demo. The issue is system combination and driver interface experiment, and level of each technology has been kept low. Speed control, for example, as done by the passenger-side assistant driver with a supplementary accelerator pedal.

(16) Combi Road (TNO, Netherlands)
The demo system focused in efficient transport of freight unloaded at ports to distribution center. Testing grounds have been built in Rotterdam. Bus shuttle was available for visitors to see the demo. It is similar to the dual-mode track developed in Japan. A large truck that can run both on diesel and electricity was navigated automatically with both mechanical guide and with magnetic nails. There were 6 types of demos created with various combinations. Stop at obstacle demo by means of vehicle detection and shutdown with optical sensor were shown as well. TNO and other organizations are conducting studies on the economics and practicality of this system.

(17) ECT and SAFE TRAIL (T.U. Delft, Netherlands)
ETC (The Europe Combined Terminal system)is a platooning demo with five freight vehicles linked mechanically to an automated-cruise lead vehicle. It is equipped with coaxial control and stable braking to ensure a long chain of vehicles to follow the same track.

[Observations]
Achievements in EC's Fourth Framework had not been disclosed extensively in the past. Many of the demos show presented concrete designs and systems, suggesting the depth of study in Europe. The only major European carmaker that participated was Daimler-Benz. Reliability of the demos was not markedly high. Many require more time for practical use. Strong drive and will could be felt in R&D in areas that require social consensus, such as speed control. The demos were honest and straightforward, conducted on public roads as well and without pretense to embellish errors.
(Written by: Hosaka, Noguchi, Ito, and Nakayama)

3. Booth Exhibition

The exhibition grounds were set up on an area of roughly 2,400 sq.m., inside a tent pavilion adjoining the Arena Discussion venue. European makers and demo projects accounted for most of the exhibits. Outside Europe, there were exhibits from AHSRA, Navigation Technologies, ITS America, and South Korea's promotion booth. Most of the exhibits were made up of panel description with charts, illustrations, and photos. The AHSRA booth was compact and functional. The exhibits were made easy to understand, and the video presentation of AHS requirements was evaluated highly as well. Most prominent were displays of a large trailer truck by Chauffeur and mockup model of the RUF (Rapid Urban Flexible) system electric vehicle (hybrid car based on nomalrods and triangular monorail) from RUF International. Route Automatisee/INRIA attracted public attention with an automatic parking demo with small EV (fully automatic unmanned electric trailer vehicle) The four days from 15 to 18 of June drew participation from experts, who showed great interest, though the number was quite small. The last day was open to the public and attracted many visitors accompanied by children. Particularly popular with families was the People Mover.
(Written by A. Yashiki)

AHSRA Booth

Mockup model of hybrid car for the RUF system

4. Report on the Arena Discussion (Round-Table Discussion)??

Following the official opening ceremony by Dutch Minister of Transport, Mrs. A. Jorritsma-Lebbink, on the first day (June 15), a VIP session was held on the first day as Arena Discussion. On the second through fourth days, theme specific sessions were held in round-table format. A talk show open to the public was held on the last day. In the discussions on the direction of R&D, the majority opinion was for driving comfort rather than technology. The Japanese opinion was to solidify the basic concept and start with what is most viably possible. On the other hand, Europe expressed the need for further technological development, though distribution was placed as first priority. The United States presented a clearer view of its IVI approach

First Day:
The VIP session was part of the opening events of the official program and was held in the afternoon of June 15. Various guest speakers gave speeches on the theme, "The first public automated lane will be in operation before the year 2010." Some 250 attended, of which the great majority were Dutch. After Prof. Ir. Ben Immers of Leuven University, Belgium, (Senior Project Manager, TNO) gave a speech on "resolving traffic problems with AVG (Automated Vehicle Guidance)," a poll of the audience was taken with switches set up at every seat. The responses were tabulated and displayed on the screen immediately.

Later, speeches were given by the following
Mr. Jean MacGowan (USA, DOT), Mr. Asao Yamakawa (Japan, Public Works Research Institute, Ministry of Construction), Mr. Fotis Karamitsos (Greece,EC), Mr. Jean A. Dekker (The Netherlands, TNO), Mr. Tim Wolfe (US, Arizona DOT), S. Reiniger (Germany, Daimler Benz), Ms. A. Jorritsma-Lebbink (The Netherlands, Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management), Otto Hoffmann (Germany, TuV), Peter Elsenaar (The Netherlands, Ministry of Construction)

Speech by Mr. Asao Yamakawa, Public Works Research Laboratory, Ministry of Construction, Japan
The theory of AHS evolution starting with AHS-i, c, and a was presented. He stressed that the AHS system should be promoted to cut down the ever-increasing number of accidents and cost and upgrade highway safety. Systems of this type are already been demonstrated, and public automatic-cruising lanes will appear by 2010. (Japan's AHS evolution theory drew great reaction and was quoted especially by the America representatives.)

Speech by Ms. A. Jorritsma-Lebbink, Minister of Transport, The Netherlands
Netherlands's ideals for the future are reduction of fuel consumption, safety, and traffic volume and improvement in transport efficiency. Because of the small size of the country, roads cannot be built any more.
Regarding AVG, it is necessary to reduce the number of 1,000 deaths a year. Support of public opinion is necessary also for government-led technology development, including Intelligent Cruise Control. For this, dialogue with the public is very important. Hence, it is necessary not only to innovate technology but also to educate the public on improvement of safety.
Research currently under way includes electric toll collection (ETC) and the unmanned People Mover at Skipaal Airport. I hope that AVG will be developed with a broad vision.

Second Day (Round Table) saw presentations made on "short-term and long-term ITS systems" by the Netherlands, Japan, and Germany. (Audience: 60). The system that can be introduced at the earliest would be truck platooning possible by 2010. Mr. Masayoshi Ito of Japan (Mitsubishi Motor) attracted great response with his presentation on a commercial vehicle with ACC instrumentation.

Third Day (Round Table) featured presentations on "R&D in AVG." (Audience: Approx. 30)
There were 3 speakers from the Netherlands, 2 from the US, 1 from UK, and 1 from Japan. The Japanese speaker was Mr. Sadayuki Tsugawa of Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology. He spoke on AVG and pointed out in particular the importance of safety, efficiency, mobility in an aged society, and the human factor.

Fourth Day(Round Table) featured presentations on "international business developments in AVG." (Audience: Approx. 60). Two speakers represented the Netherlands, 2, the US, and 2, Japan. The speakers representing Japan were Mr. Scott Andrew from Toyota and Mr. Akio Hosaka of AHSRA.
The presentation titled "Japanese R&D based on AHS requirements" centered chiefly on user services. The English-language version of the AHS Requirements was very popular. Many asked for copies of the text.

Audience Poll After End of Presentations
Polls of the presentation audience were taken at the start and end of the presentations. Asked "in what region will large-scale AVG start," the responses were very interesting. After the presentations, expectations for AVG introduction declined for EU and US, while expectations rose for Japan.

On the question of "what area is international cooperation necessary," the Japanese expressed high expectations toward automakers, and all persons agreed on the vital importance of governmental cooperation.

(Written by H.Morita)