Communication mechanisms

The IMAGinE project is developing innovative driving assistance systems for cooperative driving, whereby road users cooperatively plan and execute driving maneuvers. For this purpose, the messages and suitable communication protocols required for the coordination of context-related communication are being conceptualised and implemented for the first time in IMAGinE. This requires the adaptation of existing or the definition of new message formats that enable the transmission of relevant data for decision-making among vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure.

In the course of the project so far, various message formats have been adapted. In addition, two new V2X message formats have been defined in IMAGinE for the exchange of information between vehicles and with the infrastructure. These are the Maneuver Coordination Message (MCM) and the IMAGinE Driving Strategy Message (IDSM). The MCM is used in the IMAGinE system to realise the coordination of cooperative driving maneuvers, i.e., the exchange and negotiation of future trajectories between neighboring vehicles. With the IDSM, additional messages are exchanged between road users, which are necessary for some functions to enable strategic maneuver coordination. It is used in particular for the IMAGinE function F6 (Cooperative overtaking by heavy-goods vehicles on motorways) by the partner MAN. This function requires a long planning horizon, which clearly exceeds tactical maneuver planning. For this reason, the truck overtaking manoeuver is planned on a strategic level.

The specified messages were implemented on the waveBEE communication unit and already tested in the partners' vehicles during joint integration workshops. The test results fed directly the further optimisation work.

The newly developed message formats will require additional capacities in the transmission channels available for V2X communication, both via ITS G5 and mobile radio. In order to investigate the influence of the new messages on the channel load and to be able to derive possible optimisations from this, a corresponding subcontract will be assigned.