[NEC Topics] NEC participates in road-vehicle cooperation
demonstration experiment to support infrastructure in the era of autonomous driving on the New Tomei Expressway in NEXCO Central Japan *NEC*
Press release: August 1, 2024
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NEC and NEXCO Central Participate in road-vehicle cooperative demonstration experiment on the Shin-Tomei Expressway to support infrastructure in the age of autonomous driving
*~ Intelligent expressway space using cyber-physical systems that support an autonomous driving society ~*
NEC Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Director,
Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO: Morita
Takayuki (hereinafter referred to as NEC) aims to make expressway spaces more intelligent for the era of autonomous driving, and to realize expressway spaces where driving is safer, more secure, and more comfortable.
We participated in a road-vehicle cooperation demonstration experiment using the under-construction section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway (Shin-Tomei Expressway) as a field site.
The road-vehicle cooperation demonstration experiment was conducted from July 2, 2024 (Tuesday) to July 9, 2024 (Tuesday) on a
demonstration test section (approximately 3.1 km including bridges, earthworks, and tunnels).
This demonstration experiment was conducted mainly by the Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Naka-ku, Nagoya,
Representative Director, President and CEO: Shunji Komuro, hereinafter referred to as NEXCO Central Japan), the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, and NEXCO
This is being carried out in collaboration with East Japan, NEXCO West Japan, and NEXCO Research Institute.
For details, please check the NEXCO Central Japan website and the press release below.
https://www.c-nexco.co.jp/corporate/operation/v2i/
https://www.c-nexco.co.jp/corporate/pressroom/news_release/6043.html [Overview of demonstration experiment]
Currently, various developments are underway regarding “road-vehicle cooperation” mechanisms, which are important for achieving safe and smooth autonomous driving of self-driving trucks on expressways. Road-vehicle cooperation refers to the cooperation and provision of road traffic information further ahead (read-ahead information) that cannot be detected by the on-board autonomous sensors installed in the vehicle, based on information from the road side, which is the infrastructure side. This is to ensure smooth transportation. Since self-driving trucks traveling at high speeds require
wide-ranging and early understanding of events, “Practical
implementation of a connected environment on expressways” connects self-driving trucks, other nearby vehicles, and traffic infrastructure on the road control side. is expected.
Specific examples of events that cannot be detected by on-board autonomous sensors include the risk of intersection with non-connected vehicles (regular vehicles) at intersections, junctions, service areas, etc., and unexpected road obstacles that are difficult to predict. and traffic accidents, etc., and there is a need to reduce the risks related to these.
In this demonstration experiment, we assumed an infrastructure support function on the actual road, and installed collection equipment (vehicle detection sensor), which is a sensor that collects
information on the road, and provision equipment (vehicle-to-vehicle communication), which provides information to connected vehicles. : Private communication network Vehicle
to
We deployed infrastructure (V2I) on the roadside and conducted a demonstration experiment in which a connected car equipped with an on-board device (an autonomous driving simulation application on an in-vehicle PC) was actually driven.
This is a field demonstration that builds a “cyber-physical system using digital twin technology” (Figure 1) and reproduces the hypothetical scenario of “dynamic traffic control that quickly responds to unexpected events” (Figure 2) on an actual road. The purpose of this is to verify the effectiveness of infrastructure support through road-vehicle cooperation.
NEC uses use case 5 “Optimization of expressway network by providing information according to traffic conditions” (Figure 3) and use case 6 “traffic capacity by providing vehicle group control information according to traffic conditions” specified by NEXCO Central Japan. We participated in the “Maximum Utilization of the Internet” (Figure 4). Figure 1 Cyber-physical system based on digital twin technology envisioned in the demonstration experiment
Figure 2 Dynamic traffic control based on pre-read information on traffic conditions in demonstration experiment
Figure 3 Overview of use case 5 (traffic situation: congestion ahead) Figure 4 Overview of use case 6 (traffic situation: unexpected event ahead) [Results of NEC’s demonstration experiment]
Conventional information provision systems provide pinpoint
information using road information boards and ITS spots (information providing media), which poses challenges in obtaining information in a timely manner.
In terms of the high information density required for autonomous driving, this demonstration experiment will enable us to construct expressway space as a continuous communication area using equipment that provides “1. Vehicle-to-vehicle communication function (V2I)”. We were able to confirm the usefulness of “continuity of information provision.”
In addition, conventional collection equipment collects information at a coarse granularity due to discrete spot observation, and when providing information to car navigation systems via FM multiplex broadcasting, there is a time lag of about 15 minutes from the occurrence of an event to the provision of information. was expected. In this demonstration experiment, we will continuously collect information using collection equipment for “2. Real-time event detection function” and perform local processing at the edge near the site to improve the communication environment for “1. Road-vehicle communication function (V2I)”. , we were able to improve the performance from the time an event occurs to the time information is provided, from the conventional order of minutes to the order of seconds, confirming its usefulness for immediate response.
Please refer to Attachment 1 for the characteristics and details of this demonstration experiment. Also, please refer to Attachment 2 for reference information and supplements, and Attachment 3 for NEC’s efforts toward “next generation ITS.”
[Future outlook]
To ensure the safety of expressway spaces in the era of autonomous driving, we will predict the near future with high accuracy based on the results of this road-vehicle cooperation demonstration experiment. We will work to contribute to society in the era of autonomous driving, aiming for the practical application of cyber-physical systems.
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* Attachment 1. Demonstration experiment details*
[Characteristics of NEC’s demonstration experiment]
In NEC’s demonstration experiment, in order to support the
infrastructure side to ensure a “road traffic environment in which connected vehicles can continue to drive”, NEC conducted “1. We will actually install provision system equipment using “communication function (V2I)” and collection system system using “2. Real-time event detection function through continuous line monitoring (line observation) without omissions” on the main expressway line currently under construction. We have built a road-vehicle cooperation system to conduct realistic on-site verification by driving connected vehicles equipped with on-board devices. (photo1)
In this demonstration, 1. A communication environment applying 5G cellular communication technology, which assumes the private communication network of an expressway operator as a road-to-vehicle communication function (V2I), will be established on the expressway to connect vehicles and road infrastructure. We verified the
effectiveness of the use case through vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2I) between equipment.
Photo 1 5G-V2I roadside unit (tunnel entrance, earthworks section) [Use case 5 demonstration experiment content]
The collection equipment “vehicle detection sensor (optical fiber sensor) (Attachment 3)” uses communication optical fibers installed along the road to detect vibrations on the road surface caused by vehicle traffic, thereby improving traffic flow. It is possible to capture speed continuously. Based on the information on low-speed vehicles ahead (traffic jams) detected by this optical fiber sensor, a processing device installed on the roadside immediately analyzes the traffic situation and generates road traffic information (pre-read information). This information will be provided to subsequent connected vehicles via road-to-vehicle communication equipment (V2I). We envision a scenario in which a connected vehicle selects a driving route based on the relationship between the received prefetched information and the vehicle’s position.
As a result of this, we envisage application to a “pre-reading information provision system,” such as changing route plans in response to “changes in traffic conditions on the order of minutes” of several minutes to several tens of minutes, as a time grace. Figure 5 shows the details of the demonstration.
* [Vehicle in front is less than 40km/h due to traffic jam ahead ⇒ Request for speed reduction/route selection to following vehicle]* Figure 5 Use case 5 (traffic jam ahead): Image of provision of proactive information (road alignment map)
[Contents of demonstration experiment for use case 6]
Based on information on low-speed vehicles ahead (traffic jams) detected by the “vehicle detection sensor (optical fiber sensor),” which is also a collection system, and vehicle behavior information (sudden braking) collected from connected vehicles running ahead, The installed processing equipment instantly analyzes traffic conditions and generates road traffic information, which is then provided to subsequent connected vehicles via the provision system,
“Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication Equipment (V2I)”.
We envision a scenario in which a connected vehicle selects a driving lane based on the relationship between the received road traffic information and the vehicle’s position.
As a time delay, we provide a “merging support information provision system” that requires an immediate response to “the immediate traffic situation ahead that changes moment by moment on the order of seconds” of several seconds to tens of seconds, and “pre-reading information provision” such as merging support. It is assumed that it will be applied to a system.
Details of the demonstration are shown in Figure 6, and Photo 2 shows the inside of the following vehicle during the demonstration. Screen 1 shows the vehicle position and speed reduction situation on the GIS screen.
Figures 7 and 8 show examples of application models for use case 6 envisioned by NEC.
* [Less than 40km/h due to sudden deceleration of the preceding vehicle due to an unexpected event ⇒ Request to following vehicle to reduce speed and change lanes]*
Figure 6 Use case 6 (sudden event ahead): Pre-reading information provision image (road alignment diagram)
Photo 2: Inside the following vehicle during the demonstration experiment Screen 1: GIS vehicle position screen after notifying the following vehicle of speed reduction due to detection of speed reduction of the preceding vehicle
* [Assumed conditions (example): Traveling speed: 80km/h, headway time: 2.5 seconds (vehicle distance: approximately 45m)]*
Figure 7 Application model example of use case 6: Image of merging support information provision (road alignment diagram)
* [Assumed conditions (example): Traveling speed: 80km/h, headway time: 2.5 seconds (vehicle distance: approximately 45m)]*
Figure 8 Application model example of use case 6: Image of merging support information provision (travel trajectory diagram)
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* Attachment 2. Reference information and supplements*
【Reference information】
NEC’s initiatives for “next generation ITS”, Beyond 5G era digital twin technology (June 17, 2024): See Attachment 3
Please check NEC’s press release. (link below)
The world is paying attention to NEC’s “revolutionary” technology that detects abnormal situations on expressways in real time (October 12, 2023)
https://jpn.nec.com/corporateblog/202310/02.html
NEC delivers high-precision traffic monitoring system using optical fiber sensing technology to NEXCO Central Japan (May 24, 2022) ~Practical implementation of continuous traffic flow monitoring using existing communication optical fiber~
https://jpn.nec.com/press/202205/20220524_01.html
【supplement】
“Ahead information provision system”
A system that detects information on events ahead of the road that cannot be detected by vehicle sensors, provides the information to self-driving trucks traveling upstream on the main expressway, and supports event avoidance (lane changes, deceleration, etc.) in a timely manner.
(General term for systems that contribute to merging support functions, risk reduction of road obstacles, etc., and improved road management)
“Merge support information provision system”
A system that provides information such as the traveling speed of main line vehicles traveling on the main line of the expressway to self-driving trucks running on connecting roads (ramps), and supports adjustment of the relative position and speed of main line vehicles. (General term for systems contributing to merging support function)
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* Attachment 3. * NEC’s efforts toward “next generation ITS”
https://prtimes.jp/a/?f=d78149-664-1776164b2b3282362b5a862a6aa4a99f.pdf