Ringway, Colas, Fusion Processing and TRL have started working on a UK government research project to automate the operation of impact protection vehicles, or IPVs.
A feasibility study commissioned by UK government through the £150 million CAM (Connected and Automated Mobility) Pathfinder programme is exploring the potential for automated IPVs that should keep roadworkers safer on the road network. An IPV protects workers from collisions with vehicles and other road users.
The CAM Pathfinder feasibility studies competition is delivered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), supported by Zenzic and Innovate UK, Zenzic was created by the UK government and industry to champion the CAM ecosystem. Zenzic and Innovate UK are supporting 14 projects aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of CAM solutions and technology.
Ringway, Colas, Fusion Processing and TRL are aiming to eliminate risks for the workers who drive and operate the current vehicles, by removing them from the vehicle when in use.
The companies said there is around 1,500 conventional IPVs n operation on the UK’s motorways and high-speed roads. They typically shield road workers during short-duration works on live carriageways or when setting out traffic management for full road or lane closures. Despite their highly visibile markings, illuminated signs and energy-absorbing crash cushions, collisions remain frequent.
The health and safety risks faced by current IPV drivers are, therefore, ever-present. In fact, in the past six years, 115 IPV collisions were reported. All of these collisions occurred while a driver was in the cab. Many drivers suffered physical or psychological harm, with investigations revealing that some have suffered long-term impacts from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result.
The AIPV feasibility study aims to take the driver out of an IPV in specific scenarios. If the feasibility of doing so is confirmed, then the project unlocks the potential for profitable exploitation of homegrown expertise and technology, with additional growth potential into adjacent CAV/CAM sectors on an international scale.
Ringway operates, manages and maintains long-term highway contracts in the UK. Together with its associated companies, Ringway looks after more than 43,300kms of highways – the largest UK highways maintenance portfolio and which includes strategic road local authority networks,. It involves all types of highway related infrastructure in city, urban and rural networks.
Colas, a subsidiary of the global Colas Group, is a UK infrastructure contractor specialising in construction, maintenance and operation of highways and transport networks. The company’s expertise spans material processes and surface treatments, operational technology, digital transformation and asset management.
TRL – formerly the Transport Research Laboratory – is a team of scientists, engineers and specialists who collaborate with clients and partners to “shape the future of transport”. TRL works to make transport safer, cleaner and more accessible for everyone.
Fusion Processing was founded in 2012 to design and build systems for automated vehicles and develop technology to improve vehicle safety. The company produces automated driving systems, situational awareness and control systems technology for the global market. Fusion Processing says that its products have clocked up over two million kilometres of service.
