Automated Cars – And Regulations – At The Geneva Motor Show

Among the Ferraris, Maseratis and Lamborghinis in Geneva this week, high-level representatives of the auto industry, the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) discussed issues of safety, data sharing and standardisation.

A two-day symposium organised by the ITU on “The Future Networked Car” took place at the Geneva International Motor Show on the 5-6 March. The programme included discussions on road safety, innovation, communication in automated driving and regulatory requirements.

Former racing driver Tiff Needell initiated the discussions saying that now, “as soon as we sit in the seat [of our car], our mobile phones are hooked up, we’ve got the internet on, apps working, a satellite navigation that fires up with interactive map. ”

Johan de Nysschen, president of Infiniti Motor Company, presented his company’s latest car that has the new Direct Adaptive Steering technology. In these automated cars steering is controlled by integrated computers and sensors that pick up signals from the external environment, without any human involvement needed at all.

It is an “important building block to take vehicle safety to the next level,” he said, as computers can see and react to external objects far quicker than humans. He also highlighted a second significant selling point of automated cars, which is that people will be able to remain connected to mobiles and internet integrated within the car technology, whilst driving. However, as these communication devices are specifically created for vehicle use, unlike mobile phones, they will be adapted to be used without presenting a potentially dangerous distraction to drivers.

These ideas of increased safety and more productive use of time, such as drivers being able to check emails during congested morning commutes, was also emphasised by Russell Shields, chair of the innovative software group Ygomi.

Standardisation and Regulation

Hamadoun Touré, secretary general of the ITU, said “a new revolution is underway, the automotive industry and ICT sector are meeting together.” Their cooperation will be key in defining “how we interact with our cars, with our surroundings, and how we are effecting the environment,” and developing standards for communication between the different components.

Touré gave the example of, in the event of an accident, texts being sent to the nearest police, firefighters or ambulance, and to drivers in the vicinity of the accident zone.

The ITU would like to work with players from the automobile and ICT sectors to work together to build standards and ensure interoperability of these cars all over the world. De Nysschen also called for automobile companies to overcome competitive self-interests and take part in the standardisation process, which could significantly reduce costs for the industry as a whole.

Eva Molnar, director of UNECE, emphasised the role of regulators “for creating the conducive environment for innovation that answers some of the challenges of mobility.” A doubling of surface transport is predicted for 2030, and managing this increased demand in a safe and sustainable way, taking into account safety and climate change issues will be important, as well as defining the direction of innovation to address these issues.

Sharing Car Data

Two important and related issues were brought up: who will own the data collected by inbuilt computer technology and who is liable in case of accidents.

Black boxes in cars will store information collected by sensors and the operational information in the case of accidents.

“Is there a societal obligation for the owner of the car to surrender the data to investigate what caused the accident, and for legal implications?” asked a representative of Statistical Analytics.

De Nysschen suggested that manufacturers should have access to this information, both to protect themselves from a legal standpoint, and to improve on errors. As to who will own the data, he said this will be a “moot point” in the future.

Molnar indicated that she did not think data sharing will be an issue. She gave the example of regulators that already having access to data measured in commercial cars. Commercial drivers’ activities are monitored to ensure compliance with social conditions on factors such as number of hours of rest and days off. This information is automatically sent to legislators and that is “totally accepted already.”

Shields said “there would be a tremendous advantage of finding problems earlier by transmitting data so that it’s available to the automotive manufacturers and engineers.” This would enable manufacturers to correct errors and increase safety.

“It allows predictability instead of waiting to see what happened,” added De Nysschen.

Molnar also suggested that the information would be useful to consumers as feedback on their driving. Linked to this idea were discussions on the necessity of education of consumers on how to use this new technology safely.

Julia Fraser is an intern at Intellectual Property Watch. She is currently training to be a solicitor and will start work at an international law firm in London in 2015. She has a BSc Honours in Biology from Edinburgh University where she developed an interest in public health related intellectual property issues.