Vulnerable road user protection - a key driver for urban C-ITS deployment?!

This paper presents the findings of an Austrian research group on the protection of vulnerable road users (VRUs) through Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS). The COPE project aims to enhance traffic safety by improving collision avoidance systems in (partially) automated vehicles. By connecting vehicles and infrastructure, the project facilitates the exchange of driving intentions and sensory data, creating a comprehensive traffic situation overview. Key challenges addressed include detecting all relevant road users, predicting their motions, and integrating local traffic context. The COPE project developed a data fusion platform for real-time data sharing among vehicles and infrastructure, enhancing decision-making for collision avoidance. The project highlights the importance of uniform data transfer and proposes future research on motion prediction and confidence levels. The results demonstrate the potential of C-ITS to significantly reduce accidents involving VRUs, emphasizing the need for continued development and deployment of these technologies.