Connected Automated Driving — 2023-08-17
Automotive Industry
The new international standard for safe operation of self-driving vehicles, Road Vehicles – Test scenarios for automated driving systems – Specification for operational design domain – ISO 34503, has been published. The standard is laying the foundations for safe deployment of self-driving vehicles by creating a common approach to define the operating conditions of self-driving vehicles, which is also known as the Operational Design Domain (ODD) (i.e., operating conditions).
This standard provides specifications for defining these operating conditions in a common manner. It classifies ODD into three key categories:
The importance of the concept of ODD is highlighted in the latest European Union’s Act on Automated Driving System (adopted in Aug 2022) which puts the concept of ODD as a cornerstone of the safety assurance process of an automated vehicle. Similar approaches are being considered at the upcoming regulations at United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
This standard is a big step to facilitate the commercialisation of self-driving vehicles in a wider global society while also safeguarding the safety of this emerging technology. International organisations and local governments or regulatory agencies can use this standard as a guide to develop their regulations and policies on self-driving vehicles. Autonomous vehicle developers and manufacturers can design and test their technology based on internationally aligned safety benchmarks.