New possibilities for autonomous vehicles

Since 1 March 2025, it is legal to use autonomous vehicles on Swiss roads. In private transport, however, drivers must be continuously ready to re-take control of their vehicle if needed (level 3). In addition, cantons have the authority to approve certain routes for fully self-driving cars. These vehicles will typically be buses, taxis or delivery vans that are remotely monitored by a control centre. Until now, a driver had to be present in the vehicle to intervene in case of an emergency. This is no longer the case. But what does it take to safely operate a self-driving vehicle from a control centre – in terms of road safety, IT security, data protection and cyber resilience? Together with the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg, the Institute for Energy and Mobility Research at Bern University of Applied Sciences has defined minimum system requirements on behalf of the Federal Roads Office.

What are the potential scenarios?

In addition to analysing standards and specifying the equipment, the researchers determined eight potential scenarios, for example: an unexpected road closure, the loss of network connection, adverse weather conditions or a traffic jam. Two vehicles were used to validate these scenarios at the test site in Vauffelin. One of the scenarios was a false obstacle that triggers emergency braking. Eleven test runs were conducted with objects such as branches and paper bags to simulate false alarms. The automatic emergency braking system consistently detected the objects and triggered emergency braking in each case. The operators solved the scenarios by employing two distinct approaches: driving around the obstacle and driving over it at very low speed. The results demonstrate that the tested systems can handle such events reliably within the defined requirements.

The control centre, a more cost-efficient option in some cases

Raphael Murri, Head of the Institute for Energy and Mobility Research, sees self-driving vehicles as a viable solution for passenger transportation at airports and in local public transport, but also for last-mile transportation or as recovery vehicles on rough terrains or in hazardous situations: “In instances where the business case involving an operator in the vehicle is not profitable, the cost-efficiency of automation in conjunction with monitoring by a control centre can be assessed.” The technical possibilities have evolved significantly in recent years: “Modern systems include advanced sensors, cameras and data communication technologies that enable real-time monitoring and control,” says Murri. The institute is currently engaged in discussions with various interested parties regarding the potential for upgrading existing systems that are still operated with an operator in the vehicle.

A platform and competence centre for automated and teleoperated driving

In collaboration with the Dynamic Test Center DTC in Vauffelin, the test site was development specifically for 5G communication systems for autonomous vehicles and is suitable for the further improvement and comprehensive testing of such systems. Raphael Murri’s team is in contact with manufacturers who have upgradable vehicles, or who can install upgrade packages or convert vehicles.

Integration into teaching

Autonomous driving is also a popular topic among students. The bachelor’s module “Automated Driving” teaches them the basics. The point of departure for the possible conversion of existing systems was the master’s thesis of Ahmed Hanachi, a BFH student who equipped one of Bern’s “Matte-Schnägg” shuttle buses with additional sensors and completely redesigned the programming in 2023. The vehicle was successfully utilised in the present project. Another vehicle model is currently being upgraded with additional sensors and its programming redesigned. The first autonomous vehicle developed at BFH was the “sh@ttle”, a Renault Twizy converted by students (see under "Project sh@ttle" above). Today’s graduates have the necessary knowledge to further develop such systems in the future. Consequently, it is reasonable to expect an increase in the number of autonomous vehicles on the roads in the future.