Hanyang University

Wealth of expertise

Sunwoo points out the uniqueness of the university as a breeding pond for innovation in designing and developing control and electronic systems for next generation vehicles. “We know and understand the importance of software, and software innovation, as well as the growing influence and impact of AI. We have a wealth of expertise and tools under one roof that allows us to be at the forefront of the development of electric vehicles, connectivity and autonomous driving functions that will revolutionise the automotive domain. We are, and will continue to be, prominent in helping vehicle manufacturers meet this major challenge that lies ahead. But, of course, while the university does have access to this treasure chest of expertise, we have to be realistic and realise that we cannot do everything all on our own. Funding and support from our government is essential in this respect. Which is where KIAT comes into the picture. Not only in terms of money, of course, but also in terms of providing suitable vehicles for us to pursue our goals. Like ITEA.”

Widespread benefits

ITEA has proved to be an ideal programme for Sunwoo and Hanyang University to exploit the university’s resources and to benefit from the knowledge of consortium partners, both in Korea and Europe. The DANGUN project, which Sunwoo led, is a prime example. The rationale behind DANGUN was that rather than using an array of varied and expensive sensors, a comparable performance could be achieved through the close cooperation of suppliers of advanced perception sensors, vehicle manufactures and academia. So the DANGUN project set out to develop a Traffic Jam Pilot function with autonomous capabilities using low-cost automotive components. The results have been beneficial technologically, commercially and societally. Not only do the results almost match the State-of-the-Art using sensors that cost 20 to 30% less, but the breakthroughs that have been achieved have allowed the consortium partners to expand both their products and markets. As for the impact on society, these developments will reduce insurance fees as the responsibility for autonomous driving vehicle accidents will lie with manufacturers, data providers and road operators.