ITU-APT Foundation submits proposals study on the connected automated vehicles

International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Geneva based UN body on global telecom standards is working on a global standard for Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) where the in-vehicle perception sensors and Vehicle to everything (V2X) communication equipment will be covered. The new ITU report will support automated driving applications using both in-vehicle perception sensors and cooperative V2X connectivity.

Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs), also sometimes referred to as driverless cars or autonomous vehicles, which are under development by most of the major global automakers. ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) has submitted a proposal on the CAVs to the ITU WP5A meeting which will be held as a global virtual meeting from 15th to 26 November 2021.

ITU-APT Foundation of India’s President Mr. Bharat B Bhatia said that; CAV developments are an evolution rather than a revolution. CAV will exist side-by-side with other non-automated road users for a foreseeable future. Coordinated automated driving maneuvers are one of the main reasons that wireless communications are being viewed as critically important for AVs. One of the first use cases in this category is Platooning.

Looking at worldwide R&D towards service deployment of CAVs, current prototype use cases include Cooperative Driving/Coordinated automated driving maneuvers, Platooning, Automated Valet Parking. The communication system architecture of CAV is basically the same as that of Advanced ITS. Platooning involves multiple vehicles driving together in a convoy. The platoon is controlled as a unit by using inter-vehicle radiocommunication. In a truck platooning, leading truck is driven by a human driver while following trucks follow the leading truck by keeping a certain inter-vehicle distance using Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) and automated-steering / automatic-tracking of the previous truck.

Maneuver Coordination Service also called Coordinated Driving or Advanced Driving enables e.g., coordinated merging, coordinated lane change of semi-automated or fully automated vehicles. “Cooperative Automated Driving (CAD) brings together driving automation technology with V2X communication in order to enable vehicles to coordinate their driving maneuvers and achieve a common global understanding of their surroundings, leading to safer and more efficient driving.

The concept of CAV is further supported by Maneuver Coordination Service also called Coordinated Driving or Advanced Driving which then enables coordinated merging, coordinated lane change of semi-automated or fully automated vehicles. Another terminology to better understand advanced driving would be the concept of “Cooperative Automated Driving (CAD)” which brings together driving automation technology with V2X communication. In order to enable vehicles to coordinate their driving maneuvers and achieve a common global understanding of tehri surroundings, leading to a safer and more efficient driving.

Wireless communication technologies are on an accelerating innovation cycle. For example, the 3GPP completed Release 16 Stage 3 specifications and froze the related ASN.1 in June 2020, incorporating the New Radio access technology, which is meant to satisfy the IMT-2020 performance requirements. In addition, 3GPP is currently working on Release 17. In

release 17, 3GPP intends to extend the flexibility of the cellular technologies into an expanding number of vertical industries.

Coming to the interoperability factor which is of critical importance Mr. Bharat B Bhatia said that; for safety-related CAV functions, especially for direct ad hoc wireless communications among CAV’s and between CAV’s and infrastructure, since these types of communications do not depend upon commercial wireless networks, which have been used in the past to provide limited intermediation among different generations of wireless technologies.

ITU-APT Foundation of India (ITU-APT) is a non-profit, non-political, non-partisan Industry foundation registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1960. ITU-APT is working for last 18 years with the prime objective of encouraging involvement of professionals, corporate, public/private sector industries, R&D organizations, academic institutions, and such other agencies engaged in development of Indian Telecom sector in the activities of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT).

The Foundation has been recognized as an International/Regional Telecommunications Organization by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). ITU-APT is also having close working relations with similar organizations in many other countries including, Japan, Indonesia and USA.

Our members include many stalwarts of the telecom sector including many previous secretaries, members, advisors and DDGs of the DOT and Telecom Commission. We also have many corporate members from India and other countries including operators, vendors. The foundation has been responding to various government consultations in the past.
CT Bureau