Developing and providing a harmonised
and scalable CCAM Safety Assurance Framework

About

Develop and provide a harmonised and scalable

CCAM Safety Assurance Framework

Introduction

The SUNRISE project is about safety assurance of Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) systems. This safety assurance is crucial for their successful adoption and deployment in society. CCAM systems must be reliable in every possible driving scenario. This requires a strong safety argumentation, which remains a significant challenge worldwide.

Several initiatives have started to develop test- and assessment methods for CCAM systems, applying a scenario-based approach, and combining both physical and virtual testing. Although automotive stakeholders generally seem to agree on this overall approach, the current situation is leading to silo solutions. The lack of a common approach, therefore hampers the large-scale and safe introduction of CCAM systems in society.

It is for these reasons that the SUNRISE project started. The SUNRISE project aims to establish a common safety assurance framework, interconnecting silos and making them collaborate in a harmonised way.

Main goal

Develop and provide a harmonised and scalable CCAM Safety Assurance Framework that fulfils the needs of different automotive stakeholders, for a continuously evolving number of use cases and scenarios.

Key one-liner

“The decade long debate in scenario-based assessment converges into a common basis.”

Safety Assurance Framework

“Safety Assurance Framework” is a rather abstract and intangible topic. In order to enhance the general understanding, this figure visualizes the way in which the SUNRISE Safety Assurance Framework is intended to be used by different stakeholders.

It shows the different types of stakeholders, that each have their own interests in the framework. It also shows possible questions that each of these stakeholders want to get answered by the framework.

The SUNRISE Safety Assurance Framework aims to provide answers to these questions (among many others). It provides these answers, with the method, toolchain and data framework that it will develop and demonstrate. And it does not operate independently. Instead, it cooperates with many similar initiatives around the world, in the field of CCAM safety assurance. For example, by aligning its components with those of twin projects, or by drawing contents from related scenario databases.

Work plan

This figure shows the general approach or workplan applied in the SUNRISE project. A central role can be observed for the Safety Assurance Framework. This framework is based on several methods and a toolchain. Another important component is the data framework. The Safety Assurance Framework will be put to the test by a series of relevant and realistic test cases.

Development does not start from scratch. It is based on existing safety assurance frameworks and related initiatives (including the predecessor project HEADSTART). The test cases are derived from a variety of CCAM systems and use cases, including urban- and highway driving of passenger cars, but also automated parking of freight vehicles.

Technical results and demonstrators include a CCAM safety assessment method and toolchain, as well as an interactive user handbook, and an EU data framework including a scenario database and test case library.

Together with twin initiatives from other parts of the world, the SUNRISE consortium actively engages with external stakeholders, such as vehicle safety bodies and standardization entities. This engagement aims at adoption of project results by these external stakeholders.

Objectives

Overcoming the challenges CCAM technologies and systems face in terms of safety assurance for their broad adoption

Allowing large-scale deployment of CCAM

Providing methods and tools to enable stakeholders to build evidence on the safe and reliable operation of a CCAM system in the relevant driving scenarios

Activities

Shaping harmonized and scalable safety assessment methodologies and certifications

Creating a federated European Scenario Database framework and a commonly agreed simulation framework

Engaging with stakeholders worldwide

Use cases:

Urban AD validation (ODD: intersections)

Traffic Jam AD validation (ODD: highway)

Highway AD validation (ODD: highway)

Freight vehicle automated parking validation (ODD: logistic terminal, connectivity, light rain or attack injection)