The SHOW project is unique in many ways, one of them being our 69-strong consortium. Our SHOW partners come from every corner of the transport sector across the EU, each bringing their own strengths and knowledge to the table. Safe to say we want you to meet them!
Next up is Sensible 4, a Finnish autonomous driving software company that develops self-driving vehicles for all-year round use. We spoke to Jussi Suomela, Chief Business Officer at Sensible 4.
Can you tell us a bit more about your role in the SHOW project?
Sensible 4 is a Finnish software company developing unique autonomous driving software. In the SHOW project we work as a demo partner and our role is to bring all-weather autonomous vehicles to the streets of Tampere Finland. We feel that it’s also important to encourage solid standardization together, and nations to prepare their legislation for autonomous vehicles as needed. In the pilot the focus is to further develop and test our autonomous driving product Dawn that will be launched in the year of 2022, show how autonomous vehicles are already working, and raise awareness that self-driving is not something in the future, it’s around the corner.
How do you see the role of automation in advancing sustainable mobility?
Automation reduces CO2 emissions, shared mobility more and electric vehicles even more. In the big picture, autonomous shuttle buses offer a convenient method for public transportation, also to areas with limited or no transportation services at all. The fleet can be optimized to existing conditions and there is no need to drive empty vehicles.
Automated shared transportation reduces the need for privately owned vehicles, further easing the traffic and congestions in city centres. Autonomous electric vehicles enable better air quality especially in dense, urban areas as there are no emissions from the vehicles, but even the traditional vehicles drive more fuel efficiently.
There is also less space needed for traffic infrastructure and less resources used in manufacturing. In the long run automated transportation will also have an impact on road deaths and accidents as the risk of human error will decrease: robots don’t get tired or unfocused.
Why do you consider a project such as SHOW important for the sector?
The impact of collaboration is always bigger than one operator. SHOW increases the cooperation between the partners from 13 EU countries and makes it possible to speak wider about congruent standards in the field of autonomous driving, not only about individual solutions.
Technology has developed well, but there is still a need for changes in legislation. Mutual messages about the permissive regulation should be communicated together and it’s easier when important European operators boost this topic together.
In what aspect do you expect SHOW to have the biggest impact?
SHOW has the biggest impact on the 14 demo sites, and the areas around them. Urban autonomous mobility solutions are about to come on the streets in the near future. SHOW is a way to demonstrate how well autonomous vehicles already work, and local people have an opportunity to orientate and get used to the new way of transportation. Demo sites test different technologies to support autonomous vehicles and there are several European AD-companies piloting their vehicles.