Chippendale Connected and Automated Vehicle Trial

Phase 1 of the trial was hosted at the University of Sydney campus. The project team tested the CAV in a low-density urban environment and in both open and closed roads. 

During this period the team sought to identify how the CAV would interact with pedestrians and other vehicles in a controlled manner. The vehicle route was simple and covered 250m of road within the University of Sydney campus. 

Phase 1: CAV route at the University of Sydney

Phase 2 occurred for an additional 12 months at the University of Sydney Campus. During this phase the project team wanted to understand how the CAV would operate and adjust in more complex urban and pedestrian environments. New testing complexities were incorporated including: 

• Other vehicle detection, and safety interactions 
• Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) detection and safety interactions
• Other Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) protocols and communication systems.

Phase 2: CAV route at the University of Sydney

The final phase of the trial was held across two locations. The CAV went through testing at the Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre (FMTRC) and then travelled through the streets of Chippendale, Sydney.  

The aim of this phase was to demonstrate safe operating principles or interaction rules with other vehicles, pedestrians, and stationary objects, such as bollards for redirecting traffic or parked cars, in live traffic conditions.

New trial tests and features were added in this phase to understand connected and automated vehicle urban capabilities including:

• New perception pipeline activity - to achieve longer and more stable object detection around the CAV.
• Corporative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) testing activity at intersections to understand how the CAV would communicate with existing road infrastructure. 
• New localisation strategy - based on a sensor fusion approach to address significant challenges in localisation for built-up areas.

Phase 3: CAV route at the Transport for NSW Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre (FMTRC)

Phase 3: CAV route through Chippendale, Sydney

To enhance learnings for Phase 4, the Transport for NSW Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic Systems (SCATS) and Future Mobility teams upgraded infrastructure by retrofitting existing traffic lights with a Roadside Unit (RSU). This RSU enables effective communication between automated vehicles and traffic lights in real, live traffic conditions. 

The RSU uses dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) to send Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) and MAP messages to the vehicle’s on-board unit (OBU). The SPaT message provides essential information on traffic signal status and timing, helping the vehicle decide whether to stop or proceed through an intersection.

This phase will focus on:

• Navigation strategies for integrating traffic light signals using SPaT messages
• Navigation strategies for non-signalized intersections through vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, especially when the vehicle does not have the right of way
• Fusion of information across platforms within the same network to determine navigation strategies
• Cooperative navigation of connected vehicles by sharing intentions
• Cooperative perception with other agents in the network
• Specific safety use cases, including red-light violations and turn warnings for vulnerable road users.

Dr. Stewart Worrall, ACFR, testing vehicle to traffic light communications. Photo credit: ACFR