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 “The paradigm shift goes from a car receiving information only to a car communicating bi-directionally with its environment. The car will become an open system and the car industry will see a change in much the same way that mainframe computer vendors and incumbent telecom operators saw their world change within a decade. We invite all the bright minds to create the best solution and to test them in an open challenge. Who will become the Microsoft of the car operating system? It will take decades, five system generations of evolution, but the automobile will become a real auto (auto) mobile.”
Egbert-Jan Sol
CTO, TNO Science and Industry
In 2008 we announced the Grand Cooperative Driving Challenge and beginning of 2009 we gave you some first information about this event. In the last months we went more in detail and made some changes in the project plan.
This has resulted in a new planning.The challenge begins in 2009, with the finals scheduled for 2011. In brief, the timetable is:
- 2009: Workshop (May) during the ‘Cooperative Systems on the Road’ event to swap ideas on rules, protocols and technology (more preparation workshops will be scheduled).
- 2010: Demonstration with Cooperative technology based on Shockwave Traffic Jam Experiment during the showcase event in March involving the CVIS, SAFESPOT and COOPERS R&D projects.
- 2011: Actual highway challenge. Teams from all around the world will participate.
After 2011, the organisers intend to make the challenge an annual international event in which new and gradually more challenging traffic situations will be addressed to stimulate the development of cooperative technology in the longer term.
The forthcoming workshop date and venue
The first, important event for the GCDC will be a workshop, being organised by HTAS (High Tech Automotive Systems) and TNO on Thursday 14 May 2009. This coincides with the ‘Cooperative Systems on the Road’ event being held on the public roads in the southern Dutch city of Helmond from 12-14 May.
This high-profile event will be attended by international media as well as representatives from government, industry and academic institutions. Topics on the agenda include a GCDC roadmap with redefined activities as well as input for GCDC technology, rules and financing.
Keynote speakers are scheduled from the US DARPA Grand Challenge and ITS Japan.
This workshop is open for interested potential challenge participants and stakeholders. The outcome of this workshop will enable to start the preparations for the challenge.
Workshop registration
The workshop is free of charge. It will start at 8.30hrs till approximately 18.00hrs. You can register via www.gcdc.nl/workshopmay09 by 24 April. Places are limited so please sign up as soon as possible. This is an initiative you will certainly want to be part of. More details will follow after registration.
Location
Helmond, in the Southeast Netherlands, lies within easy reach of several airports. Eindhoven is just a half hour drive away, with Amsterdam Schiphol very well connected by train. Rotterdam, Düsseldorf, Weeze and Brussels are about an hour away by road. Hotel accommodation can be found in Helmond itself or in nearby Eindhoven. See links below for more information.
For more information, contact project manager Anton Gerrits (anton.gerrits@tno.nl or +31-623115397).
Useful links
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About HTAS
High Tech Automotive Systems is a Dutch automotive innovation program empowered by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs together with industry, knowledge institutes and university partners.
The focus areas of HTAS are driving Guidance and Efficient Vehicles. In addition HTAS has an ‘Enablers’ program for automotive education, knowledge transfer and business development.
More info: www.htas.nl
About TNO
Developing, integrating and applying knowledge: it is this combination that differentiates TNO from other knowledge institutions.
By encouraging the effective interplay of knowledge areas, TNO generates creative and practicable innovations: new products, services and processes, fully customized for business and government.
More info: www.tno.nl |
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