Daf Trucks and NXP Showcase Cutting-Edge Platooning in Munich Before Electronica
Daf Trucks, NXP Semiconductors, Siemens, and others are showing off their advanced platooning technology on the streets of Munich, leading up to the Electronica exhibition next week.
These demonstrations will highlight platooning, traffic signal and vehicle synchronization, and technology aimed at protecting vulnerable road users using secure V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication.
NXP and Daf Trucks have announced plans to enable truck platoons to react 30 times faster than humans by 2017, a significant step forward for fleet operators seeking efficiency, safety, and secure data management.
Previously, Daf Trucks, NXP, TNO, and Ricardo set a benchmark with platooning trucks maintaining a 0.5-second gap at 80km/hr, which translates to an 11-meter distance. The trucks communicated wirelessly through V2X technology supported by high-performance cameras and radar systems.
Now, the goal is to reduce the gap further by 40%, aiming for a 0.3-second or 7-meter distance at the same speed. This requires the system to react 30 times quicker than a human driver, with wireless communications occurring within milliseconds.
“We understand the challenge of achieving reaction times 30 times faster than humans,” said Ron Borsboom, Daf Trucks’ director of product development. “While there’s still a lot of R&D needed, we’re working with NXP to demonstrate this improved response time by 2017.”
The integration of a sophisticated sensor fusion and control system is essential to create, monitor, and maintain safe platooning, even under external hazards or internal system malfunctions. The system must ensure high functional safety to maintain shorter distances safely, using ASIL-qualified components from NXP such as microcontrollers, microprocessors, power management ICs, and networking components, all based on the NXP BlueBox platform.
Kurt Sievers, NXP Automotive’s general manager, emphasized the importance of secure communications. “With over a million test days globally on our RoadLink V2X communications, our tests confirm its maturity and strong security. Our demonstrations with Daf Trucks and other partners highlight ultra-fast, secure, and direct communications between road users.”
NXP is also introducing a new high-performance radar microcontroller at Electronica. The S32R27 radar MCU is said to offer four times the performance of its predecessor, enhancing accuracy and safety for applications such as collision avoidance, lane change assist, autonomous emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. This advancement allows quicker and more precise detection of pedestrians, motorcycles, and bicycles in intelligent transport systems.
In summary, these technological advancements promise to enhance the efficiency and safety of truck platooning, with secure, ultra-rapid communication, and improved detection capabilities, paving the way for smarter and safer transportation solutions.
