Gatik, an autonomous middle-mile logistics provider, has had two of the major pillars of its Safety Assessment Framework successfully reviewed by TÜV SÜD. Gatik’s methodological approach to both the safety case and functional safety phases of its comprehensive Safety Assessment Framework were independently assessed, marking a significant milestone on the company’s path to safely launching its freight-only commercial operations this year.
TÜV SÜD, an independent testing, inspection and certification organization with extensive experience in autonomous system safety assurance, provided the independent, third-party assessment. It found that Gatik’s approach to the development of a comprehensive safety case and functional safety was in adherence to the requirements of TÜV SÜD’s Autonomous Vehicle Conformity Framework, a globally recognized process for evaluating autonomous vehicle safety across development, testing and deployment domains.
While self-certification has become the accepted standard for safety in the autonomous vehicle industry, Gatik’s Safety Assessment Framework enables traceability and transparency to all claims of safety that are made by virtue of an independent assessment.
TÜV SÜD’s Autonomous Vehicle Conformity Framework involves an end-to-end review of Gatik’s functional safety portfolios, including the following key elements: operational design domain (ODD), item definition, testing, hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA), coverage/safety analysis and safety culture. Importantly, these items and all others related to safety, lead to a comprehensive safety case, enabling for appropriate oversight of the entire system.
TÜV SÜD’s review, which is a preliminary assessment of Gatik’s approach to safety case development and functional safety, serves as a progress checkpoint, confirming that Gatik’s approach is aligned with TÜV SÜD’s internal requirements under the Autonomous Vehicle Conformity Framework to support the successful development of freight-only (driverless) trucks at scale, while establishing a pathway for future compliance with relevant standards.
“We strongly believe that the future of autonomous vehicles will be defined by those who prioritize safety above all else,” said Gautam Narang, Gatik’s CEO and co-founder. “This independent review of our safety case and functional safety methodology represents a radical departure from the self-certified safety audits that have become the industry norm. By engaging TÜV SÜD to provide this review from an external vantage point, Gatik is setting a new benchmark for the industry – one that puts safety and transparency at the forefront of the autonomous vehicle revolution.”
“From the beginning, Gatik’s approach to safety has been defined by an uncompromising commitment to the highest standards, both internal and external,” said Dr Adam Campbell, Gatik’s head of safety. “The independent assessment that we have pursued at Gatik meets the level of transparency that policymakers, first responders, business partners and everyday drivers expect and deserve. In our view, TÜV SÜD’s assessment represents a tremendous vote of confidence in our approaches to scaling safety in our Safety Assessment Framework, serving as the foundation for our launch of freight-only commercial operations at scale this year.”
Gatik’s Safety Assessment Framework encompasses over 700 identified safety portfolios to address key pillars of AV safety: organizational safety culture; engineering quality (functional, behavioral and operational safety of the self-driving system); cybersecurity; vehicle safety; and safety case conformity to UL4600 and other industry standards.
As part of the company’s commitment to transparency and accountability across all aspects of its approach to safe testing and deployment, Gatik will be publicly sharing further information on progress made toward completion of the Safety Assessment Framework prior to deployment of freight-only operations.