‘What projects are you implementing?’, ‘What solutions are you working on?’ and ‘What does the project involve?’ — these and many other similar questions are what we try to answer to candidates during recruitment processes. In a conversation with Mateusz Kwaśnik, project manager Weronika, our recruiter, provides details of one of our projects that could revolutionise road safety. What technologies are we introducing in new cars, how do we meet the stringent requirements of the European Union and what benefits will our solutions bring to drivers and pedestrians? — You will find the answers to these and many other questions in the interview. Read on to get a behind-the-scenes look at our work and find out how today’s technology is shaping the future of motoring.
Weronika: What are the main objectives of the project?
Mateusz: Some time ago, the European Union introduced regulations that aim to increase road safety for vehicles, their occupants and to minimise risks to other users. The effect of these moves is to require cars to be retrofitted with at least 20 systems, components or other items to meet additional safety conditions. This requirement is very restrictive and has been targeted at new cars coming off the production line.
W: How can our project have an impact on the automotive industry?
M: In this particular case, our project is something of a departure from the requirements set out in the regulation, which, in my opinion, will change the market as well as the entire automotive industry in Europe very strongly. For example, failure to comply with the requirements in models already in production will result in production stopping and certain car models going out of production. We will certainly lead to an increase in road safety, we will eliminate, to some extent, errors resulting from the human factor in certain situations and, last but not least, we will secure vehicles against cyber attacks or reduce the risk of unauthorised use of vehicles. Unfortunately, there is also a very important non-design aspect here. Manufacturers are likely to pass on the costs of implementing these solutions to us, the consumers, so let us be prepared for an increase in the price of new cars.
W: What specific functions or technological solutions is our team developing to improve driver and passenger safety?
M: Our team focuses primarily on the operation of cameras or various types of sensors, their analysis and rapid communication of the collected information from the road (along with active monitoring of communication between components inside the vehicle), diagnostics and security development related to data and memory security. Furthermore, we are actively involved in the area of software architecture or vehicle functional safety. Our code and solutions work in the so-called background while driving and, as a result, the driver receives a series of specific information, messages or warnings from the current driving situation. This can be information about road hazards, unexpected movements and the behaviour of other drivers as well as active support for the driver in specific situations.
W: What steps do we take to ensure that our solutions comply with the highest safety standards?
M: The manner and quality of our work has been efficiently placed in a V‑model according to Automotive ASPICE (where the various stages of the work in terms of design, implementation and testing are clearly and in great detail). This approach to project management allows the requirements of the directive itself and the specific arrangements from the customer to be managed efficiently. The key here is ASPICE’s transparency, which even requires a certain quality of work to be maintained and minimises possible software errors. Standards such as ISO 21434 (Cybersecurity) , ISO 26262 (Functional Safety) and ISO 27001 (TISAX) cannot be overlooked as essential complements to the quality approach in a project. In this type of project, it is even a requirement to act in accordance with the adopted standards according to a stringent set of rules. The proverbial buckle-down of the aforementioned standards is reserved for the AGILE approach, where we take on tasks in an agile manner and react flexibly to design or conceptual changes from the customer.
W: If you had to translate what we do in the project into what a driver and/or road user might experience, how would you describe it?
M: The driver will be provided with a range of solutions that will clearly communicate dangers and, in some situations, even help with driving. Take, for example, a situation where the driver (due to poor visibility at dusk) will not be able to see a pedestrian. In this situation, the camera and radar in the front of the car will register the person, and the built-in software will additionally recognise the ‘object’ in front and inform the driver or even force the vehicle to stop automatically. Other examples include active support for the driver in keeping the vehicle in the lane (reducing the potential risk of a collision), detection and monitoring of the driver’s fatigue level, or even an active system for recognising traffic signs and informing of possible speeding offences
W: When did you feel that what you were doing would make a real difference to the safety of those on the roads — pedestrians/drivers?
M: The first insights into the reality of what we were doing came quite quickly because on reviewing the requirements and design assumptions. The second (almost tangible example) was to observe how the system of sensors and cameras picks up new objects on its way, marks them and analyses the data accordingly. It was hugely impressive to identify people who were very faintly visible to the driver. It was then that it occurred to me that what we were doing was really going in a very good direction and that we were doing something that would make a real difference to the safety of myself, my loved ones and other road users. Immodestly, I have to admit that there was an element of pride because of the seriousness and complexity of the project and the importance of the whole endeavour. It is quite a privilege for me to be part of such an important initiative and such a great team, which performs its tasks with great precision and commitment.
W: Are the high demands of various standards and certifications a bureaucratic requirement, or something that makes a real difference to what a car owner gets?
M: Arguably, some people might say that the EU imposes a number of ill-considered requirements on car manufacturers. So far we have seen a number of such initiatives, which I think is good for us and even required. The number of accidents on the roads is increasing along with the number of cars on the roads. The striving to minimise risks and to assist the driver in driving safely should grow in strength and importance. If, by means of similar regulations, the number of accidents, victims or fatalities on the roads is reduced, then this is, in my opinion, the best possible initiative, because our life and health and that of our loved ones comes first.
W: How does testing this (automotive) software differ from other systems? M: When our code and the results of our work are responsible for the lives of drivers and other road users, we have a number of very strict conditions to meet. The aforementioned 100% test coverage is basically a given. Thanks to this method, we can catch many irregularities at an early stage of implementation. It is also worth mentioning integration tests, validation tests, penetration tests, system tests, acceptance tests or even a series of very thorough and exhaustive tests in a real car on a specially prepared test site. The application of all these verification and testing methods is aimed at delivering to the end customer a car that is intended to guarantee an even higher level of safety. Therefore, there are no half-measures or turning.