The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) specifically supports innovations, which improve the lives of the citizens. One of the most promising technologies for the mobility of the future is autonomous driving. The UNICARagil project has the potential to create important concepts with completely new vehicle concepts. Therefore, it is supported by the BMBF with around 26 million euros in the funding programme "Microelectronics from Germany – Driver of innovation for the digital economy".

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Participating Institutes

Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika)

The ika of RWTH Aachen University under the direction of Prof. Lutz Eckstein has been intensively researching the relevant topics of motor vehicles for over 100 years, which also includes networked and automated driving. The ika coordinates the project UNICARagil and contributes several innovative technologies. The main areas of work are the conception and structural design of platforms and add-on modules, the development and implementation of dynamic modules and the implementation of the autoSHUTTLE use case.

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Institut für Flugsystemdynamik (FSD)

The Institute of Flight System Dynamics (FSD) of RWTH Aachen University has done a lot of preliminary work, especially in the field of unconventional aircraft configurations. In the project UNCARagil the conception of the info bees as external information supplier for the supplement of the vehicle environment model is taken over. In addition, the FSD is responsible for the development of the airworthy environment sensors and their communicative connection. It integrates the components into a functional overall system and pursues the optimisation and safeguarding of the system.

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I11

The i11 of Prof. Stefan Kowalewski of RWTH Aachen University is researching in the fields of design methodology for embedded software, model-based development, architectural analysis and validation of safety-critical systems. UNICARagil focuses on the conception and implementation of the digital architecture in and outside the vehicle of the i11. He will develop the software architecture ASOA and coordinate the implementation of the UNICARagil-Cloud infrastructure.

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Chair of Management Accounting

The Chair of Management Accounting of RWTH Aachen University led by Professor Dr. Peter Letmathe has a highly interdisciplinary profile, bringing together business, economics, engineering and natural sciences. The team of PostDocs, PhD students and student assistants works closely together to create synergies and connect topics of interest. Addressed fields of research are in particular behavioral controlling, value and sustainability controlling as well as business model and innovation controlling. The range of projects varies from basic research to implementation in industry. In the project UNICARagil the Chair of Management Accounting is part of the project management team and is responsible for monitoring the progress of the project.

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Participating Institutes

Institut für Regelungstechnik (IfR)

The working group Electronic Vehicle Systems of the Institute of Control Engineering (IfR) at the TU Braunschweig, headed by Prof. Markus Maurer, is researching the inherent risk of autonomous driving. The group researches systemic aspects such as system architectures, safety and validation as well as environmental perception and behaviour generation. In UNICARagil, the group is responsible for safety at the overall vehicle level and for the application of the autonomous family vehicle autoELF.

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Institut für Datentechnik und Kommunikationsnetze (IDA)

The Institute for Data Technology and Communication Networks (IDA) at TU Braunschweig deals with the design of embedded systems in automotive engineering as well as in aerospace engineering. The team focuses on the reliability, security and real-time capability of multicore and distributed systems. Basic methods developed by the research group will be extended and tested in the UNICARagil project.

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Participating Institutes

Fachgebiet Fahrzeugtechnik (FZD)

The Department of Automotive Engineering (FZD) at Darmstadt Technical University recognised the special challenge of securing automated vehicles at a very early stage and has been developing concepts for this for many years. With this competence the modular protection is developed in UNICARagil. FZD is also conducting research into a 3DoF motion control system that controls the four independent wheel hub drives. Safe stopping" is another research topic at FZD and serves in UNICARagil as a safe fallback level in the event of failures of major vehicle components.

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Fachgebiet Physikalische Geodäsie und Satellitengeodäsie (PSGD)

The high-precision determination of position and vehicle dynamics are central research areas and a core competence of the Physical Geodesy and Satellite Geodesy (PSGD) department at Darmstadt Technical University. In UNICARagil the PSGD together with iMAR Navigation GmbH is responsible for the integration of inertial and wheel sensors with GNSS for optimal estimation of the current driving condition, described by position, speed, acceleration and orientation of the vehicle.

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Participating Institutes

Lehrstuhl für Ergonomie (LfE)

The Chair of Ergonomics (LfE) at the Technical University of Munich deals with the design and evaluation of human-machine interaction and the anthropometric design of technical systems. In particular, #safety, #efficiency of use and user satisfaction and acceptance in different usage scenarios play an important role.

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Lehrstuhl für Fahrzeugtechnik (FTM)

The Chair of Automotive Engineering (FTM) at the Technical University of Munich deals with all mobility requirements. Research is carried out on various aspects of vehicle concepts, with a focus on electromobility and automated driving. FTM's work in the UNICARagil project focuses on the development of a #control centre for automated vehicle fleets including tele-operated driving and the implementation of the autoTAXI use case.

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Participating Institutes

Institute of Automotive Engineering (IFS)

The Chair of Automotive Mechatronics at the Institute of Automotive Engineering (IFS) at the University of Stuttgart is headed by Prof. Hans-Christian Reuss and conducts research in the fields of electrics/electronics, electromobility, accumulators, automation, networking, software and simulation. In the project UNICARagil the IVK is responsible for the mechatronic architecture, the brain stem hardware as well as the energy supply including thermal conditioning.

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Participating Institutes

Institut für Mess-, Regel- und Mikrotechnik (MRM)

The MRM of the University of Ulm, headed by Prof. Klaus Dietmayer, conducts research in the fields of automated driving and driver assistance systems, electromobility, automation and robotics as well as the diagnosis and modelling of battery cells. In UNICARagil the MRM is responsible for the realization of generic sensor modules for driving environment detection, vehicle environment modeling as well as methods for strategic behavior generation of the automated vehicle based on the current situation and driving mission.

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Participating Institutes

Institut für Mess- und Regelungstechnik (mrt)

The Institute for Measurement and Control Technology (mrt) of the KIT, headed by Prof. Christoph Stiller, conducts research in the field of autonomous driving with a focus on optical driving environment detection and behavior generation. The focal points of mrt in the UNICARagil project include the realization of the cerebrum, visual perception, behavior generation and motion planning.

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Institut für Fördertechnik und Logistiksysteme (IFL)

The Institute for Materials Handling and Logistics Systems (IFL) at KIT, headed by Prof. Kai Furmans, conducts research focusing on the deployment planning of automated vehicles as well as robotics and handling technology. The results and the existing know-how are needed for the use case autoCARGO.

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Participating Institutes

Lehrstuhl für technische Informatik

The Chair of Computer Engineering under the direction of Prof. Stefan Katzenbeisser deals with practical questions of IT security with a focus on critical infrastructures, transport security and data protection. In the area of hardware security, the chair deals with the research of new hardware trust anchors based on physical properties as well as mechanisms for verification of device integrity by means of certification. In the UNICARagil project, the working group is responsible for the design and implementation of IT security for autonomous driving.

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Atlatec GmbH was founded in 2015 as a start-up by Dr. Henning Lategahn, a graduate of KIT Karlsruhe, and offers mapping and localization solutions for driver assistance systems and automated driving. By adapting map data to the sensors used by UNICARagil, Atlatec solutions will contribute to accurate vehicle localization and navigation.

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flyXdrive GmbH is a start-up company founded in 2017 by the Institute of Flight System Dynamics at RWTH Aachen University. The team specialises in the design, implementation and approval of highly automated flying tiltwing aircraft that can be operated over long periods of time and long distances, even out of sight and in adverse weather conditions. flyXdrive GmbH develops the "info bee" in the project to supplement the external perception of the environment.

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iMAR Navigation GmbH is a technology-oriented company and a trendsetter in the development and manufacture of inertial navigation and measurement systems. In cooperation with TU Darmstadt, a robust data fusion is used to develop motion state observation and location with a high degree of functional safety for the four vehicle prototypes in the UNICARagil project and to make them permanently available.

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IPG Automotive GmbH is a global technology leader in virtual road testing and develops innovative simulation solutions for vehicle development. The software and hardware products for the application fields Driver Assistance & Automated Driving, Powertrain and Vehicle Dynamics can be used throughout the development process.
The project contribution of IPG Automotive focuses on the provision and configuration of a test environment using the open integration and test platform CarMaker.

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Schaeffler Deutschland is a leading integrated automotive and industrial supplier. For wheel hub drives, Schaeffler bundles leading global know-how and has already developed several prototype generations of the so-called "E-Wheel Drive". Schaeffler will contribute existing results from various projects as part of UNICARagil. As a result, the dynamic modules will be equipped with wheel hub drives.

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With VIRES Simulationstechnologie GmbH and its flexible traffic simulation environment "VIRES Virtual Test Drive" (VTD) UNICARagil has a strong partner for the development of the external environment model on board. The environment model will make a decisive contribution to the safe and dynamic behaviour of vehicles in demanding everyday road traffic scenarios by enabling the development and evaluation of automated driving functions and systems.

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Maxion Wheels Holding GmbH, a division of IOCHPE-MAXION S.A., is a leading manufacturer of wheels for passenger cars, light trucks, buses, trucks and trailers. The company also produces wheels for agricultural vehicles and other off-highway applications. With 10,000 employees and an annual production of around 60 million wheels, Maxion Wheels is the largest wheel manufacturer in the world. As part of the project, Maxion Wheels is supporting the development and supply of the wheels required for the wheel hub drive type.

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Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH is an independent group of companies specialising in the development, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for the further development of intuitive driving and the reduction of CO₂ emissions. As one of the leading suppliers of driver assistance systems, Valeo aims to support drivers in critical driving situations. In the UNICARagil project, Valeo will support the implementation of the ultrasonic-based part of the environment detection system for "Safe Stopping".

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Thinking Cars GmbH is a start-up company from the environment of the RWTH Aachen University, the University of Ulm and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. It was founded in 2020 from the UNICARagil consortium and is based in Ettlingen. There is a close cooperation with the Institutes of Automotive Engineering (RWTH Aachen), Measurement and Control Engineering (KIT) and Measurement, Control and Microtechnology (UULM). The company bundles the know-how of several UNICARagil project members and is intended to ensure the long-term operation of the research vehicles created in the project, even beyond the duration of the UNICARagil project.

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