New developments on EDR (Event Data Recorder) for automated vehicles

Abstract

With the upcoming new legislative rules in the EU on Event Data Recorder beginning 2022 the question is whether the discussed data base is sufficient for the needs of clarifying accidents involving automated vehicles. Based on the reconstruction of real accidents including vehicles with ADAS combined with specially designed crash tests a broader data base than US EDR regulation (NHTSA 49 CFR Part 563.7) is proposed. The working group AHEAD, to which the authors contribute, has already elaborated a data model that fits the needs of automated driving. The structure of this data model is shown. Moreover, the special benefits of storing internal video or photo feeds form the vehicle camera systems combined with object data is illustrated. When using a sophisticate 3D measurement method of the accident scene the videos or photos can also serve as a control instance for the stored vehicle data. The AHEAD Data Model enhanced with the storage of the video and photo feeds should be considered in the planned roadmap of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on EDR/ DSSAD (Data Storage System for Automated Driving) reporting to UNECE WP29. Also, a data access over the air using technology already applied in China for electric vehicles called Real Time Monitoring would allow a quantum leap in forensic accident reconstruction.