b'Engineer Innovation | Interview:together with a number of governments, road authorities and other agencies that drive these types of developments forward. What we see is a great openness to use new simulation tools to provide insights into the effects of certain elements, like how the vehicle is designed and how it operates in a certain environment. S: What still needs to happen?Van den Oetelaar: The road authorities would like to see a vehicle that has a natural driving behavior. An automated vehicle that would stop at a crossing and not drive off smoothly whenever there is a space available would lead to irritation from otherroad users. Today, people do not understand why an automated vehicle or self-driving vehicle doesnt behave exactly the way that they would drive the vehicle themselves. This is something that we have to learn. Everyone is convinced that safetyinsure themselves against recalls and remains one of the key aspects. So ourtechnical things that you can solve.We are in discussions with some road focus on the outside of the vehicle is inWhat you cant insure today is yourauthorities to not only allow a vehicle reality to improve occupant safetybrand image and the way that OEMsto go on the road, but to go one step because occupant safety is thehandle safety is key to keeping theirfurther and make the vehicle pass a ultimate goal.brand image upright.driving license. The self-driving cars will have to apply for a driving license S: What role does TASS International,S: What are the safety challengesso they really operate in a naturalistic a Siemens Business play in EVthat need to be addressed of EVs? way in a normal environment. development?Van den Oetelaar: If you look at Van den Oetelaar: Our platformsafety, then what we tend to look at isThere are enormous amounts of Simcenter Prescan is able to connect tophysical safetythe crash tests thatcurrent regulations and at the same all types of autonomous elements. Wewe do. Today, if you look at antime these regulations dont cover can hook up to existing OEMautomated vehicle, we tend to look atwhat we are trying to validate for an simulation work, but also the newfunctional safety.autonomous vehicle today. That is a entrants in this market who will bebig challenge. able to help us build a good overviewSafety has a number of components. and enhance the richness of theThere is the component of technology.Barkai: Safety issues are certainly scenario database. We need this toThere is the component ofimportant and today we are not evaluate the complete ecosystem.connectivity, where we have toconvinced that we have enough test understand how the connectivitymiles accumulated to prove that we Without getting too technical, what weworks and how we are able to masterhave covered all the possible self-bring to the table is the connection ofthe connectivity under the safety flag.driving scenarios. There are interim the vehicle to the full world around it.And last but not least, there issteps to take. For instance, we should It is the eyes and ears of the vehicles.functional safety, which includesinvest more in autonomous trucks and This is what we have in our portfoliolegislation. The big question is how wetruck platooning systems, where a today and this is what we arecan make sure that the technology andhuman drives the first truck. Today we recognized for on a global level.legislation side work hand in hand.are looking at autonomous cars primarily from a technology innovation S: As an industry expert, what isS: Creating proper autonomouspoint of view and not from a broad your biggest challenge? driving legislation seems to be aadoption point of view. We will forgive Van den Oetelaar: If you ask mosthuge challenge. What is the reala human for making a mistake, we will CEOs in automotive, it is very clearlystatus today?not forgive a machine for making a safety. Safety is number one. OEMs canVan den Oetelaar: We are workingmistake.22'