Autonomous Vehicle Technology Success Hinges on Interdisciplinary Partnerships

While autonomous vehicle (AV) technology has evolved, numerous challenges and potential impacts on global transportation systems have emerged. These challenges confirm AV development's interdisciplinary nature and the need for collaboration across technological, policy, and societal sectors, along with strong industry-academia partnerships. This narrative formed the central theme of the 18th IEEE International Conference on Vehicular Electronics and Safety (ICVES) 2024​​​​​​, held at Ahmedabad University from December 16-19, 2024, marking its return to India after a decade-long gap.

The alarming statistics presented at the sixth edition of the FICCI Road Safety Awards and Conclave 2024 revealed that India experiences 5 lakh road accidents and 1.5 lakh fatalities annually, resulting in a 3% loss to the country's GDP. Against this backdrop, the conference explored how innovative sensing, communication, and computational technologies could enhance road safety for both pedestrians and drivers. Experts also examined the role of intelligent systems in understanding road environments and ensuring seamless driving.

The conference brought together experts from industry and academia for theoretical discussions and practical sessions, focusing on various vehicular and road safety aspects. Special emphasis was placed on leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to improve safety outcomes. Three tutorial sessions were organised on December 16, 2024, namely Engineering Digital Twin for Intelligent Transport Systems, by Dr Karthik Vaidyanathan from IIIT Hyderabad. The second tutorial, which focused on autonomous driving in stochastic traffic dynamics and unstructured environments, was delivered by Sanjeev Sharma from Swayaat Robot. The third tutorial delved further into Digital Twin with the title Tutorial 3: Digital Twin: An Introduction to Concepts, Techniques and Methodology for Complex Sociotechnical Systems, and the Speaker was Professor Balbir Barn, Middlesex University

Professor Cristina Olaverri Monreal, an expert in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) from Johannes Kepler University, traced the evolution of AV technology from its experimental stages to its current focus on commercialisation and implementation. She highlighted the efforts of companies like Tesla and Google. However, she noted significant barriers to widespread adoption, including user trust, legal and ethical concerns, and technological maturity. Professor Monreal stressed that while AVs are designed to reduce accidents, congestion, and emissions, their success hinges on adequate infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and research into public behaviour to gauge real-world acceptance.

Professor Swaroop Darbha of Texas A&M University elaborated on the growing interest in AV technology, citing its benefits such as reduced reaction times, elimination of human errors caused by monotony, improved situational awareness, and better execution of repetitive tasks, all contributing to enhanced mobility and safety. However, he pointed out that automation efforts often overlook human anticipation—a critical factor in traffic safety. Professor Darbha provided valuable insights into key issues, including unintended consequences of AVs, the importance of spacing policies, control system design and implementation challenges, and the role of connectivity in autonomous systems. He offered a roadmap for balancing safety, mobility, and real-world applications.

Professor Shankar Ram from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras discussed enhancing active vehicle safety systems through innovative model-based control. He emphasised that these models often approximate linear, time-invariant systems. In contrast, real-world systems are typically nonlinear and time-varying, necessitating rigorous redesign and testing. He also stressed the importance of involving individuals with strong foundational knowledge in mathematics, automotive engineering, control systems, and sensing/actuation for successful implementation.

Industry experts also contributed valuable perspectives. Dr Anbumani S from Intel, Bengaluru, discussed how AI can enhance road safety, while Mohan Satyaranjan, CEO of Bengaluru-based software company Taqanal Energy, addressed the vulnerabilities, challenges, and opportunities associated with adopting Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and vehicle automation technologies.

The expert talks were complemented by focused training sessions offering in-depth instruction and hands-on learning opportunities. These sessions covered the fundamentals and applications of data analytics in vehicular communication networks and autonomous navigation in unpredictable environments, focusing on India's complex traffic systems. Additionally, the sessions explored the concept of digital twin modelling for integrated transportation platforms, emphasising its potential to enhance real-time transportation systems.

The four-day conference included paper presentations, keynote speeches from academia and industry, and interactive sessions. Participants consistently reinforced the importance of industry-academia collaboration and cross-disciplinary engagement to bridge the gap between theoretical models and practical implementations.