We are an interdisciplinary team consisting of German experts in the field of autonomous driving. All partners in the consortium were selected very carefully and have an important and non-substitutable role in achieving the overall goal. SAFESTREAM involves EasyMile as consortium leader and autonomous shuttle provider and partners T-Systems, TÜV Rheinland, P3, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) as well as the District of Kelheim and the City Monheim am Rhein.
EasyMile
EasyMile offers software and complete solutions for driverless passenger and goods transport. Since 2014, the company has been known for high-quality technology and use in complex environments. EasyMile’s proven technology has already put autonomous vehicles on the road at over 400 locations in more than 30 countries. As part of the SAFESTREAM project, EasyMile, as a technology provider and consortium leader, is developing highly automated SAE Level 4 vehicles that will be used in defined operational areas in Kelheim and Monheim am Rhein. The law on autonomous driving and the corresponding regulation provide the legal basis for this.
T-Systems International
As a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, T-Systems offers integrated end-to-end IT and telecommunications solutions, thereby driving the digital transformation of companies in many industries, especially the automotive industry and the public sector. In SAFESTREAM, T-Systems will provide a prototypical and scalable platform for the technical supervision of highly automated vehicles, which can be used to connect fleets from different operators. These vehicles, which connect to the platform via 5G network, are monitored by the technical supervision and, in case of problems, supported by suitable interaction in accordance with legal requirements.
TÜV Rheinland
As a strong global partner for manufacturers, suppliers, authorities, start-ups, insurance companies and fleet providers, we at TÜV Rheinland are actively involved in shaping the mobility change. With our services, we ensure a functioning infrastructure, obtaining the relevant approvals, testing vehicles on test tracks, test rigs and in laboratories, as well as meeting safety requirements for the national and international approval of autonomous and highly automated vehicles. Within SAFESTREAM, TÜV Rheinland will develop an evaluation concept that takes into account the overall system as well as the individual subsystems of the autonomous vehicle and the new role of technical supervision defined in the German Road Traffic Act (StVG), thus creating the possible conditions for approval of the solution to be developed for operation on public roads.
P3 automotive GmbH
P3 automotive GmbH is characterized by many years of market knowledge in various industries. With expertise in technology and strategy consulting for companies in the automotive industry, especially in the field of autonomous driving, P3 has already been successfully involved in past pilot projects in autonomous driving. In the SAFESTREAM project, P3 automotive GmbH is responsible for the overall project coordination and the development of an economic utilization concept to increase the scalability and efficiency of autonomous mobility. It also sees itself as a catalyst for the dissemination of the SAFESTREAM concept on a national and international level.
Technical University of Munich
The technical supervisor will take over the tasks of the safety attendant from afar and, in case of challenges, support the vehicle from a remote workplace. The Chair of Automotive Technology (FTM) at the Technical University of Munich incorporates its experience from previous projects and research in the field of teleoperation into SAFESTREAM and designs the use of technical supervision with intelligent algorithms and methods. Besides considering different control concepts for the interaction concept between the vehicle and the locally separate technical supervisor, the remote workplace is to be further researched in regard to human-machine interaction (HMI) and continuously improved through research results obtained.
District of Kelheim
The district of Kelheim is the local authority for public transport and ensures that every passenger reaches his or her destination on time and in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner. It is important for the district to respond innovatively and flexibly to the requirements of a changing society and to actively advance the mobility transition with the intelligent networking of various mobility offers. The district also believes in autonomous driving: Automated shuttles are already part of the public transport system in Kelheim. Building on this, SAEFSTREAM is the next step. Within the SAFESTREAM project, the Kelheim district is responsible for the setup and test operation. Level 4 operation on public roads will be implemented in Kelheim for the first time and integrated into the existing on-demand service KEXI.
City of Monheim am Rhein
Monheim am Rhein is a pioneering municipality when it comes to Smart City. With the A01 Line, Monheim am Rhein is a showcase and living lab for the mobility of the future. As part of various research projects such as the European SHOW project, many aspects in the operation of automated vehicles are being explored and, at the same time, made tangible for all citizens. The SAFESTREAM project therefore builds directly on the experience of recent years and thus forms the next logical step in the integration of autonomous vehicles in public transport operations. Together with Bahnen der Stadt Monheim as a 100 percent subsidiary, the city of Monheim am Rhein not only wants to implement all necessary operational processes in the SAFESTREAM project, but also demonstrate the first realization of a Level 4 line operation in public space.