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Hitachi Astemo Develops Autonomous Driving Tech that Enables Cooperative Behavior on Narrow Roads

Japanese Tier 1, Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. has developed an autonomous driving technology that helps to safely and smoothly pass by oncoming vehicles on narrow roads and other situations by utilising 3D sensing results of the surrounding vehicle environment.


The demand for autonomous driving is increasing to help solve social issues such as alleviating traffic congestion and supporting the transportation of disabled, elderly and others with special needs. For the practical implementation of autonomous driving on public roads, it is necessary to predict the risks of complex behaviour of pedestrians and other moving objects and sudden emergence from hidden areas to avoid danger in advance. In addition, a vehicle is required to plan a safe driving trajectory and driving control based on 3D sensing information such as LiDAR and stereo cameras so that smooth driving can be achieved in an environment mixed with non-autonomous vehicles.


The demand for autonomous driving is increasing to help solve social issues such as alleviating traffic congestion and supporting the transportation of disabled, elderly and others with special needs. For the practical implementation of autonomous driving on public roads, it is necessary to predict the risks of complex behaviour of pedestrians and other moving objects

Until recently, Astemo's technologies were developed to prevent collisions by predicting the behavioural changes of pedestrians and other road users in autonomous driving on general roads and by performing safe and natural deceleration. Astemo has also developed a hazard prediction and avoidance driving technology that, like human driving, predicts areas with potentially high collision risk, such as the behaviour of other moving objects and sudden appearances from blinds-pots, and drives at a speed and trajectory that can avoid risk in advance.


The demand for autonomous driving is increasing to help solve social issues such as alleviating traffic congestion and supporting the transportation of disabled, elderly and others with special needs. For the practical implementation of autonomous driving on public roads, it is necessary to predict the risks of complex behaviour of pedestrians and other moving objects

Hitachi Astemo says it has developed technologies that enable smooth passing automated driving in narrow roads by coordinating with oncoming vehicles, by integrating three-dimensional information obtained from sensing such as LiDAR, recognising the driving environment around the vehicle in three dimensions, and by understanding intended movement from the detected free space and the behaviour of the oncoming vehicles, and by performing route prediction.


Looking ahead, Hitachi Astemo is working towards collaborating with a high-precision, versatile new stereo camera launched in March 2023. This stereo camera can accurately detect pedestrians and bicycles and measure distances by combining long-range detection with a wide viewing angle. It also stores identification patterns in advance using machine learning techniques, contributing to collision prevention during right and left turns at intersections. Furthermore, they have created software processing that enables advanced image recognition and vehicle control on cost-competitive electronic control units by utilising AI and recognition technology. Collaborating with the new stereo camera will further enhance the cost competitiveness of autonomous driving technology that enables cooperative behaviour in narrow roads.




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