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Wireless Connectivity to Improve Road Safety

BACKGROUNDDespite the increasing efforts to improve road safetyby all means available to regulators and vehicle androad environment designers and operators, the rateof road accidents is still unacceptably high. If thenumber of deaths we experience on the roads wastaking place on air travel or rail travel, we woulddemand something be done.

There needs to be a fundamental rethink of ourapproach to road safety! The lifetime risk of death onroads (on a worldwide population basis) is less than 1 in 200 compared to air or rail which is more than 1 in 100,000. In addition, an estimate of the costs ofroad accidents is in the order of $27 billion each year in Australia, which is much more than the cost of roadcongestion (a subject that gets much more attentionfrom us all). There needs to be an order of magnitudechange in this risk level and its financial and societalcost which can only be achieved by an order of magnitude change in thinking.

But is there any way to make a big improvement?Possibly yes there is, and some of it was invented herein Australia! We all know and many of us use WiFi everyday, but do we all acknowledge that important aspectsof WiFi were invented by the CSIRO here in Australia?

So we have real expertise in Australia and we havepast experience in applying such technologies in newand novel ways. We have the potential to make a significant difference and provide a unique opportunityfor Australian industry.

KEY ISSUESThe key issue that makes this project necessary is the need to bring together the four groups that are working independently of each other and propose a comprehensive basis to move forward.These groups are:• Roads agencies;• Vehicle designers and regulators;• Telecommunications service providers and

regulators; and• Human machine integration experts.

The critical element is wireless communication technology. There are many derivatives of the basicWiFi but no one anywhere is as yet confident enough to predict how these new wireless technologiesshould be applied. One of them is called DedicatedShort Range Communications. This uses a version of WiFi defined in the standard 802.11p and other complementary standards. We already have groupsundertaking ground-breaking work in this field withthe Institute of Telecommunications Research at the University of South Australia, and through a start-up company Cohda Wireless Pty Ltd.

Autonomous vehicle operation will be important. Againwe have some leading research and developmenthere in Australia in the form of the Australian Centrefor Field Robotics (ACFR) at The University ofSydney, the actual field operation of straddle carriersat the Brisbane container terminal and ore trucks atRio Tinto mines in Western Australia.

The challenge to reduce the risk of road deaths by an order of magnitude, through the application of emerging wireless communications with advancing vehicle automationand better understanding of human-systems integration.

Wireless Connectivity to Improve Road Safety

Networking InnovationThe Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering Ltd

Engineering Link Building, J13 UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY NSW 2006 • Telephone: (02) 9351 3752 • Facsimile: (02) 9351 2012Email: warrenc@sydney.edu.au • Internet: www.thewarrencentre.org.au • ABN: 27 132 821 688

Established within the Faculty of Engineering in 1983 to mark 100 years of engineering education at The University of Sydney

The Warren Centre forAdvanced Engineering LimitedThe Warren Centre is a not-for-profit organisationwith an independent process to find solutions to issues in the current complex environment. It is an industry based think tank based aroundcollaboration which is able to draw on the excellence of its networks from academia, industry and government.

ContactNick Cerneaz, Executive Director

The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering,Sydney University NSW 2006

Tel: +61 2 9351 3752 • Fax: +61 2 9351 2012

Email: warrenc@sydney.edu.au

Griffith University also has a group working on intelligent vehicles for other applications and isorganising a world conference on Intelligent Vehiclesin 2013. In the field of human systems integration we have a number of groups working in this area of which the best known is the Monash UniversityAccident Research Centre (MUARC).

PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECTTo identify a way ahead for research and developmentto achieve the project objective of an order of magnitudereduction in the risk of road deaths through applicationof wireless connectivity between road users, vehiclesand infrastructure.

HOW CAN THE OUTCOMES BEAPPLIED?The outcomes of this project will be of interest world-wide and will provide a focus on Australian capabilityapplicable to this worthy goal. It may also give rise to a new focus for rejuvenating Australian industrythrough application of innovative technologies.

VALUE TO AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY /NATIONAL INTERESTThere is a significant potential to provide a dramaticboost in this area of automotive industrial development,and to attract research and development to be under-taken in Australia which will result in commercialisedproducts and services that work to improve road safety for all users.

The national interest will be enhanced by reduction ofthe huge current cost of accidents.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIESThe Warren Centre welcomes all sponsorship proposals and encourages all industry partners torecognise the potential of application of emergingwireless communications, autonomous vehicle operation and human systems integration to deliverdramatic improvements in road safety and other benefits including reduced congestion and greatersustainability of road transport.

The Warren Centre will provide a tailored arrangementto ensure comprehensive recognition of your organisation and contribution. By incorporating abroad spectrum of industry experience, this projectcan offer guidance for non-partisan policy formulation.Sponsors will benefit from engagement in thoughtleadership, industry networking, access to the projectand final deliverables, and recognition through arange of marketing activities including their logo orname in all project and Warren Centre communications.The project will be communicated to industry, government and all interested stakeholders includingthe Warren Centre network of over 10,000 members.

To enquire about sponsorship opportunities and todiscuss the benefits for sponsor organisations, pleasecontact the Executive Director of The Warren Centre,Dr Nick Cerneaz.