Automotive safety standards developer kVA by UL and Stantec GenerationAV, the autonomous vehicle consulting arm of design firm Stantec, are to collaborate on advancing the safe deployment of autonomous vehicle (AV) projects.
Together, the two companies say they will offer customers a scalable safety advisory, validation and verification process within the operating environment, management operations and the vehicle. As cities and transportation agencies, residential and commercial developers, educational and healthcare institutions, energy producers and other entities make plans for AVs on streets and roadways, the companies’ complementary services will enable them to offer a complete advisory solution, taking a systems view of multiple technologies in multiple domains with their respective safety impact.
“Before mass AV deployment can occur, people want assurance of AV safety,” said Mary Joyce, vice president and general manager of UL’s New Mobility division. “Establishing consumer confidence requires integrating safe AV technology in communities everywhere. That’s why we are excited to work with Stantec to offer communities a service that helps them better understand technology safety status and coalesce around actions in their AV infrastructure plans with safety as the priority.”
kVA by UL offers customers analysis from safety experts who apply a critical and independent eye to safety and risk factors. The resulting analysis is intended to highlight safety concerns in real-world conditions and provide safety and risk mitigation across diverse stakeholder viewpoints, including urban planners, transportation officials, insurance providers, vehicle manufacturers and AV technology developers.
The services the partnership will offer are to include an analysis of hazards and risks from AV technology applications, software, hardware, infrastructure, operational design domains, data, operations and overall technology integration. They state that a combination of best practices and standards will be used, including UL 4600, the Standard For Safety For The Evaluation Of Autonomous Products and Other Products; International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26262 Road Vehicles – Functional Safety; and ISO 21448 Road Vehicles – Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF). Customers will receive a management dashboard that can be leveraged to drive safety improvements.
“AV technology is changing the way we move people and goods, which impacts communities globally,” said Corey Clothier, director of Stantec GenerationAV. “Safety and risk evaluations, operational protocols, policy considerations and stakeholder engagement will lead to trust in the technology and determine the level and speed of AV adoption. We are delighted to work with kVA by UL to support AV deployment decisions and accelerate automated mobility.”
