The technology behind autonomous cars is now sufficiently mature for commercial use. However, a legal framework and appropriate infrastructure are still needed. Luxembourg, which aims to be a pioneer in this field, is working on the issue.
Could autonomous cars become a reality in Luxembourg in the near future? ‘The technology has now reached a level where commercial applications are possible,’ says Raphaël Frank, a researcher at the University of Luxembourg and specialist in autonomous mobility issues.
However, the level of technology is still a long way from perfect autonomy. In the scientific field, there are different stages of development: from level 0, with no driver assistance, to level 5, where the car is fully autonomous in all situations and has no operator on board.
‘In the United States and China, and this will probably soon be the case in Europe, highly automated cars, such as Teslas with their new autopilot, offer an almost completely autonomous experience,’ notes Raphaël Frank. “For example, the car can travel from point A to point B across San Francisco without anyone needing to touch the steering wheel. ‘However, the person in the car remains legally responsible in the event of an accident. So there’s no question of sitting in the back or reading a book. It’s more of a “highly autonomous assistance system,”’ warns Raphaël Frank.
The next step is to reach a level where, in certain well-defined situations, the car will be completely autonomous, without the passenger even having to pay attention. This would be the case on motorway lanes reserved exclusively for autonomous vehicles, where complexity is greatly reduced. ‘In cities, with pedestrians everywhere, it is of course much more complex to navigate autonomously,’ explains Raphaël Frank.
Remotely monitored robotaxis with 5G
While level 5 still seems out of reach, reaching an intermediate level is sufficient for commercial operation. ‘The important thing is that you no longer need a person – an engineer or a specialised driver – in the car all the time, otherwise it’s not going to be economically viable,’ says Raphaël Frank.
Robot taxi services, without drivers but with remote control, are therefore conceivable. The idea is to monitor these cars via high-performance networks such as 5G, which provide real-time visual telemetry data and, in the event of a problem, allow an operator to take control of the car remotely to get it back on track.
In Luxembourg, the 5G Drive project, recently launched by telecommunications operator POST and the company Ohmio (which is developing an autonomous shuttle service with CFL), aims to test the network to determine whether it can be used to monitor vehicles. The aim is to prioritise data traffic on the network in order to achieve very low latency between the control system and the car itself. As you can imagine, ‘a latency of one to two seconds to control a car remotely is not at all optimal,’ explains Raphaël Frank.
Luxembourg wants to change its legal framework
Nevertheless, even if the technology is mature enough for such a system, a legal framework is still needed to allow commercial exploitation. This is the case in the United States and China, but much less so in Europe. Luxembourg, for its part, is preparing to change its legal framework. Discussions are underway within an interministerial group to change the law. The objective is set out in the government’s coalition agreement, along with the ambition to become ‘the European pioneer in this field’ and to position itself ‘as a living European laboratory for autonomous vehicles’.
According to Raphaël Frank, Luxembourg has a number of advantages: it is a small country with short distances to decision-makers and very good road and telecommunications infrastructure. In other words, it is ‘a real test bed for Europe’, says the researcher.
Towards autonomous mobility on demand
In the future, Raphaël Frank believes that assistance systems will evolve towards complete autonomy and enable convergence between robotaxis and individual mobility. The ultimate goal is to develop truly autonomous mobility on demand. ‘No more need to buy a car: with a monthly subscription and an app on your phone, you can book an autonomous car that picks you up when you need it and takes you to your destination,’ he imagines. A vehicle fully configured to the customer’s tastes – music, atmosphere – so that they feel like they are in their own car, and in which they can go about their business throughout the journey.
Another advantage of such a system is that it reduces the number of vehicles, with cars that are never in the garage but always active. Cars as we know them today will then only be used as a hobby, at the weekend on country roads. ‘I like to dream about this vision,’ admits Raphaël Frank. Even if, for the moment, ‘we’re not there yet,’ he admits.
