SCOOP is a European Union (EU) pilot project for the deployment of cooperative intelligent transportation systems. This EU project facilitates trials of future vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) connectivity solutions under real-world driving conditions.
It is carried out alongside a range of partners in France, including the French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, regional authorities, infrastructure operators, universities and research centres. Groupe Renault is working with SCOOP to test new technology on its Megane vehicles and is in the process of recruiting forward-looking fleet partners to be part of this next-generation project.
The fleet of SCOOP-enabled Meganes uses technology which will be fitted to tomorrow’s autonomous, connected cars. This includes sensors and computers that gather and analyse vehicle data such as speed, steering wheel angle, possible tyre grip problems in relation to the weather, windscreen wiper operation and deployment of airbags.
If a problem is detected, the car’s on-board computer automatically sends a warning message to other SCOOP-enabled vehicles and to units positioned along motorways. These units then notify emergency services if a major incident is detected.
In the pre-deployment phase, the units will be installed along 2000 kilometres of roads in the greater Paris region, along the A4 motorway, in the Isere department in eastern France and on the Bordeaux ring road and in Brittany.
The on-board computer, which issues the warning messages, uses a high-performance wireless communication protocol that harnesses latest-generation ITS G5 technology (Intelligent Transportation Systems), operating on a dedicated frequency (5.9GHz). These systems have been developed for moving objects and offer a range of up to 1000 metres.
The protocol systematically verifies the authenticity of each message and operates quickly in real time to avoid any collisions. It also guarantees that data is processed and held anonymously to protect users’ privacy.
The EU’s SCOOP project got under way in 2014 and has now entered an active trial phase thanks to the fleet of 1000 SCOOP-enabled Renault Meganes produced in Spain.
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