Altran part of the UK’s first pilot connected vehicle corridor

Altran is one of the core partners providing engineering support to Costain on the Highways England A2/M2 connected corridor pilot, a joint project involving Highways England, Department for Transport, Kent County Council and Transport for London. Demonstrated in October, Costain and its partners have provided the technology to power pioneering work to transform journeys through advanced connectivity between vehicles and the road.

Costain has been trialling the wireless transmission of data pertaining to road safety to and from test vehicles, which have been fitted with onboard technology to communicate with roadside units and the service provider via cellular communication. Altran has been engaged to design the in-vehicle ‘Human Machine Interface’ (HMI), with the objective of clearly displaying external and in-vehicle data in cars adapted for the project’s test site.

The global leader in engineering and R&D services is leveraging the capability of its international innovation and design teams, whose expertise in complex HMI work has supported top-tier organisations including BT, Engie, NATS and Porche. Engineers involved in two previous test corridor projects in France and the Netherlands are informing the team’s approach, ensuring test vehicle connectivity while maintaining cyber security.

The results of the pilot will be used to develop connected vehicle standards and facilitate the widescale deployment of connected vehicle technology.

Ian Henderson, Costain Service Delivery Director, Technology Capability, said: “Costain’s role as the integrator on A2/M2 is to ensure the right people are brought into the project to deliver their specialist and expert advice at just the right time. Altran’s expertise in complex HMI technologies is essential to the success of this project.”

Bobby John, Automotive and Industrial Division Director at Altran UK, commented: “We’re proud to be making an important contribution to work ensuring the safe introduction of connected technologies to UK highways, which will further the progress of digital transformation across our national infrastructure.”

About Altran:
Altran ranks as the undisputed global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D), following its acquisition of Aricent. The company offers clients an unmatched value proposition to address their transformation and innovation needs. Altran works alongside its clients, from initial concept through industrialisation, to invent the products and services of tomorrow. For over 30 years, the company has provided expertise in aerospace, automotive, defence, energy, finance, life sciences, railway and telecommunications. The Aricent acquisition extends this leadership to semiconductors, digital experience and design innovation. Combined, Altran and Aricent generated revenues of €2.9 billion in 2017, with some 45,000 employees in more than 30 countries.

www.altran.com