💾 Archived View for gmi.noulin.net › mobileNews › 1586.gmi captured on 2023-01-29 at 20:27:53. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2023-01-29)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
2009-11-09 06:16:15
Road trains that link vehicles together using wireless sensors could soon be on
European roads.
An EU-financed research project is looking at inexpensive ways of getting
vehicles to travel in a 'platoon' on Europe's motorways.
Each road train could include up to eight separate vehicles - cars, buses and
trucks will be mixed in each one.
The EU hopes to cut fuel consumption, journey times and congestion by linking
vehicles together.
Early work on the idea suggests that fuel consumption could be cut by 20% among
those cars and trucks travelling behind the lead vehicle.
Spanish trials
The lead vehicle would be handled by a professional driver who would monitor
the status of the road train. Those in following vehicles could take their
hands off the wheel, read a book or watch TV, while they travel along the
motorway. Their vehicle would be autonomously controlled by the lead vehicle.
Funded under the European Commission's Framework 7 research plan, Sartre (Safe
Road Trains for the Environment) is aimed at commuters in cars who travel long
distances to work every day but will also look at ways to involve commercial
vehicles.
Tom Robinson, project co-ordinator at engineering firm Ricardo, said the idea
was to use off-the-shelf components to make it possible for cars, buses and
trucks to join the road train.
"The goal is to try and introduce a step change in transport methods," he said.
"We're looking at what it would take to get platooning on public highways
without making big changes to the public highways themselves," said Mr
Robinson.
A system that involved wiring up motorways with sensors to help control the
road trains would be prohibitively expensive, he said.
"Each of the vehicles will have their own control and software monitoring
system," said Mr Robinson. "There may well be a platoon sensor envelope that
collates information and presents it to the lead vehicle so it can understand
what is happening around all the vehicles."
The idea is to make platoons active so vehicles can join and leave as they
need. Mr Robinson speculated that those joining a platoon or road train may one
day pay for the privilege of someone else effectively driving them closer to
their destination.
Sartre will run for three years. The project partners are currently doing
preliminary research to find out all the elements needed for a working system
and the situations in which it might be used.
There were also behavioural elements to consider, said Mr Robinson, such as
whether all the vehicles will need to have their hazard lights on while in a
platoon.
Also, he said, there had to be a way to ensure the vehicles in a platoon are
organised to make drivers feel safe.
"Car drivers do not want to be between trucks," he said.
Towards the end of the research project trials will be held on test tracks in
the UK, Spain and Sweden. There are also plans for public road trials in Spain.
The first platoon will involve two trucks and three cars.