SAFESTREAM as a lighthouse project
We do pioneering work and set the standard for autonomous mobility in Germany.
August 2022
Project kick-off
SAFESTREAM is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) with €8.9 million. In addition, the consortium partners are investing €6.9 million in the project. We want to advance the operation of driverless public transport to SAE Level 4, i.e. without a human safety attendant on board.
Autonomous driving has experienced an increasing drive for innovation in recent years. However, despite great efforts, there is no Level 4-vehicle on German public roads to date. Moreover, Germany lacked a legal framework for Level 4 operation in public space before. The automated shuttles that are already operating on public roads in some German municipalities therefore still require a safety attendant on board. In 2022, though, the AFGBV (Autonome-Fahrzeuge-Genehmigungs-und-Betriebs-Verordnung) was finalized in Germany, laying the foundation for using Level 4-vehicles in real operation on public roads.
Our goal
We at SAFESTREAM draw on this new legislation and take it as an opportunity to design and develop a safe and scalable Level 4 overall system and to ultimately demonstrate a Level 4 operation.
Our goal is to remove the currently required safety attendant from the vehicle in a legally compliant manner. Building on the hitherto operation of automated shuttles, we want to implement a legally impeccable and fully driverless Level 4 operation in defined operating areas in Kelheim and Monheim am Rhein. This requires a Level 4-capable vehicle and the use of a technical supervisor who is not physically present in the vehicle but can remotely interact with the vehicle via a network connection if necessary. For this purpose, we will develop and put into operation a new generation of vehicles that will complement the already existing fleets in both cities. Lastly, we want to translate the concept of SAFESTREAM into a blueprint for use in other municipalities.
How we do it
In order to achieve the project goals, the legal, operational and technical framework conditions that make it possible to take the safety attendant out of the vehicle must be analyzed and documented. However, operating without an attendant in the vehicle does not mean that people are no longer involved in the system. Some of the tasks of the safety attendant are transferred to a control center and others to the technical supervision.
A key component is the interpretation of the new law on autonomous driving in Germany. We will therefore define and implement the requirements for the technical supervision and the vehicle in accordance with the AFGBV as well as develop and evaluate the necessary systems and software solutions. This way, we can ensure the commissioning of an overall system based on the AFGBV that is safe for road traffic and all road users.
Our project timeline
Contact
Donaupark 12, 93309 Kelheim
Partner
