The FRODDO project, launched in June, held its kick-off meeting at the ERTICO office on 3-4 July with all 18 beneficiary organizations present. The project aims to revolutionise the operational context of Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM). The initiative focuses on ensuring performance and safety by addressing both the design of Operational Design Domains (ODDs) and the collaboration with Physical and Digital Infrastructure (PDI). Coordinated by a consortium of leading industry and academic partners, FRODDO is a Horizon Europe initiative aiming to develop robust, adaptable, and sustainable ODDs that enhance the safety and functionality of CCAM systems.

FRODDO’s primary objective is to create inclusive, resilient, and seamless connectivity and automation, capable of adapting to various physical, technological, and social challenges while supporting user-centric mobility and development. This vision aligns with the European Commission’s goals to advance safe and secure transportation infrastructure. The project emphasizes the importance of designing ODDs with multiple redundancies (fail-safe design) to tolerate vehicle and context-specific capabilities and human errors, thereby enhancing proactive safety measures.

The project will develop and test a comprehensive suite of methods and tools based on the principles of safe systems design within a federated Digital Twin (DT) environment. Leveraging advanced sensing technologies, machine learning, hybrid AI, and simulation, FRODDO aims to increase the adaptability and sustainability of ODDs in response to complex and dynamically changing road conditions. This approach will facilitate improved management of CCAM-enabled PDI, ensuring a secure and efficient flow of data, information, and decisions.

Key components of the FRODDO project include:

  • Advanced Sensing Technologies: Utilizing state-of-the-art sensors to gather real-time data on road conditions, traffic, weather, and potential hazards.
  • Machine Learning and Hybrid AI: Implementing sophisticated algorithms to process data, predict risks, and optimize ODD performance.
  • Federated Digital Twin Environment: Creating a virtual representation of physical and digital infrastructures to test and validate CCAM systems in a controlled setting.
  • Safe Systems Design Framework: Developing methodologies to enhance the resilience and safety of ODDs, incorporating feedback from authorities and road operators.

The project will conduct real-world testing and validation in four European cities (Ljubljana, Athens, Modena, and Bursa), providing diverse environments to assess the efficacy of the developed solutions. These tests will generate valuable insights, guiding the implementation of actionable policies and recommendations for future CCAM deployments.

‘FRODDO represents a significant step towards achieving seamless and secure automated mobility, fostering collaboration between industry, authorities, and road operators, and setting new standards for CCAM safety and performance’ says Dr. Nikolaos Tsampieris, ERTICO Co-Head Transport for Logistics and Project Coordinator.