Apart from our usual research work, in the next 3 years we will initiate additional research projects for the safety of unprotected road users. The use of information from vehicle environment sensors to trigger active protection systems like outer airbags will play an important role in improving safety levels for road users that have already been reached in many European countries. Along with protection for pedestrians, the protection of cyclists will come to the fore as well.
An important prerequisite for carrying out such projects is the availability of corresponding financial resources. Therefore, IKA (Institut für Kraftwesen Aachen) in cooperation with its partners will strongly advocate that the safety of unprotected road users finds necessary consideration in the research agendas of relevant organisations and associations, and that increased access to calls for tenders for research projects at the national and European levels is maintained. Specifically we will carry out the following actions:
1- IKA manages the European Automotive Research Partner Association's (EARPA) Task Force "Safety". EARPA is an association of stakeholders active in the field of automobile research and development and independent from carmakers that will be an important platform for the promotion of this objective.
2- IKA will report on the results of successfully completed projects for improving the safety of unprotected road users via international conferences and other events to announce the results to the widest possible audience and demonstrate optimal ways of implementing the series:
Some of the events:
Aachen Colloquium with 1,500 participants, including separate Pedestrian Protection Workshop
Aachen Vehicle Body Day with 150 participants
International Automotive Congress with 300 participants
For IKA's part, engineers and student helpers from the divisions of car body, driver assistance, chassis and electronics will be involved in the projects, and they will be supported by IKA's workshops.