A consortium of four UK small companies and two research organisations is building the physical components—steering, brakes, and control software—that will let autonomous vehicles handle emergency manoeuvres and high-speed driving, not just motorway cruising. Current autonomous vehicle technology works well in predictable conditions but struggles when tyres lose grip, a driver must swerve suddenly, or a system fails. This project tackles that gap by developing hardware and software that give the vehicle full control over steering, braking, and individual wheel torque, even at the limits of handling. Delta Motorsport is converting an electric coupe to test the systems. Titan and WMG are building a steer-by-wire servo motor with redundancy for full Level 5 autonomy. Alcon is combining brake actuation and anti-lock modulation into a single, lighter device. Cranfield is writing the control algorithms for extreme conditions, and Potenza is creating a safety-case template that can be reused across vehicle types. If successful, the technologies could be adapted quickly and cheaply for small cars, trucks, off-highway vehicles, and high-performance cars. The work is not fundamental science—it is applied engineering aimed at making autonomous vehicles safe enough to trust at high speed or on slippery roads.
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"**AID-CAV** brings together four UK SMEs with two research organisations to develop some of the key ""vehicle platform"" technologies that will be required for the rapid development of the next generation of autonomous vehicles -- vehicles that will have enhanced capability and performance. Lead partner Delta Motorsport will develop its existing vehicle dynamics control framework to make it suitable for autonomous vehicles based on the extended control authority it will have -- not just traction motor(s) but steering and brakes as well. Delta will convert one of its E-4 Coupe electric vehicles such that it can be used by the consortium to validate the hardware and software being developed. Titan and WMG will develop a bespoke high-performance servo motor which, combined with a new power electronics controller, will create a high-reliability steering mechanism featuring the appropriate level of redundancy for L5 autonomy. This development will build on Titan's existing knowledge of EPAS systems in the niche automotive and motorsport sectors to provide steer-by-wire (SBW). Working closely with Titan, WMG will bring significant expertise to the project in advanced power electronics solutions, together with electric motor design, manufacturing processes and implementation. Alcon will enhance its existing motorsport braking systems by combining the functions of brake actuation and ABS modulation (including brake-by-wire, BBW) into a single device. System response is improved (and thus system performance and safety) while reducing weight and complexity. Calibration is also simplified, reducing the risk of negative interaction between the two sub-systems. Cranfield will develop an autonomous driving controller accounting for the complex vehicle dynamic behaviour in limit handling conditions and exploiting the enhanced control authority available through multiple actuators (allowing individual wheel torque control) and the novel flexible control architecture. Potenza will develop the safety case for the system architecture and thus for the sub-systems, using an out-of-context methodology to provide a template for applying the systems to other vehicles. The technologies will be developed within the framework of ISO26262 Edition 2 and will be designed to meet the derived safety requirements. All systems will have the necessary flexibility to adapt -- quickly and at relatively low cost -- to a wide range of vehicles, including small cars, trucks, off-highway and high-performance vehicles."
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