Volkswagen and EyeFlow: Innovation in Trucks for Smart Mobility and Traffic Safety

The revolution in urban mobility is well underway, marked by the rapid transition to electric vehicles and the introduction of autonomous technologies. This promising scenario, however, brings with it complex challenges, especially regarding the harmonious integration of these innovations within already established urban environments.

The need for vehicles that not only coexist but also communicate effectively with their surroundings has never been more critical. To tackle these challenges, CESAR partnered with EyeFlow—an innovative computer vision startup—and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, Latin America’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, recognized for its focus on sustainability and tech innovation. The initiative is supported by Embrapii and aims to address key challenges in smart mobility.

Together, these partners aim to tackle a fundamental question of new mobility: How can ubiquitous interfaces for autonomous electric trucks promote urban mobility that is friendlier, safer, and more efficient?

Innovative External Interfaces for Smarter and More Inclusive Cities

The primary challenge faced by CESAR and its partners was to understand how electric and semi-autonomous trucks can enhance communication with their surroundings, contributing to smoother, safer, and more efficient traffic through distributed (ubiquitous) interfaces.

The challenge unfolds into several complex issues. First, the diversity of participants in urban traffic—including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of passenger cars, and other heavy vehicles—requires that any solution be universally understandable, accessible, and inclusive. 

Moreover, the fast-evolving automotive industry requires that any interfaces designed today address current demands while remaining flexible enough to accommodate future innovations in mobility.

The implementation of vehicle communication technologies, such as V2V and V2X (vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-everything), while promising, presents significant technical challenges. These include the need for interoperability between different brands and models of vehicles, as well as between vehicles and existing urban infrastructure.

Another challenging aspect is ensuring that the solutions developed do not increase the cognitive load on road users but instead intuitively facilitate the interpretation and prediction of vehicle actions, enhancing safety and reducing the risk of accidents.

Research as the Starting Point for Technological Innovation and the Future of Urban Mobility

In its initial phase, the project focuses on the research stage of the Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) cycle, considering “research” in its early Technology Readiness Level (TRL). This phase is crucial, as it lays the foundation for future development and implementation stages.

So far, the project has completed the following stages:

1. Benchmarking and State-of-the-Art Research: The team carried out an in-depth review of existing external vehicle interfaces—not just for trucks. This helped identify current technologies and uncover opportunities for future innovation.
2. Perception Gathering: To better understand how vehicles—particularly trucks—are perceived in the context of urban traffic, feedback was gathered regarding the pain points, fears, and perspectives of road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
3. Scenario Creation: Based on the collected data, the research moved to the creation of detailed scenarios, visualizing how trucks could interact more safely and amiably with their surroundings. These scenarios help illustrate potential applications and serve as a guide for conceptual prototyping.
4. Conceptual Prototyping: Using the scenarios as a foundation, the team developed conceptual prototypes of the interfaces. This theoretical stage focuses on modeling how the proposed solutions might function in practice, preparing for future technical development phases.
5. Conceptual Validation with Experts: These conceptual prototypes and scenarios are presented to field experts for evaluation and feedback. This validation process ensures the proposed solutions are aligned with real needs and can effectively contribute to urban mobility.

Beyond research, CESAR utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a support tool for ideation and data interpretation, marking an innovative approach that enhances the project’s effectiveness.

The project is currently at an evaluation stage, with Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and EyeFlow assessing its feasibility to move toward a more in-depth research phase. At this moment, the project operates at Technology Readiness Level 4 (TRL 4), with the goal of progressing to TRL 6. This advance will mark the project’s transition into the development phase, enabling the implementation of concepts in a digital environment and experimentation with high-fidelity prototypes.

The intention is to simulate the proposed external interfaces under conditions that mimic reality, facilitating a detailed assessment of their functionality, usability, and impact on safety and communication in urban traffic. This stage is essential to ensure that the innovative solutions proposed effectively address the needs and challenges identified during the research phase and are indeed implementable in the real world.

Programs like MOVER are aimed at encouraging research, development, and technological innovation in the automotive sector, fostering solutions that support smarter and more efficient mobility. To learn more about this program, its opportunities, and incentives, download our ebook.

Moving Forward Together Towards Urban Mobility Innovation

The successful collaboration between Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, the startup EyeFlow, and CESAR as an innovation center, supported by Embrapii funding, demonstrates the potential of strategic partnerships for technological advancement and sustainability in the urban mobility ecosystem.

This case reaffirms CESAR’s position as a catalyst for innovation in the technology and design sector, with a long history in Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) focused on advanced technological solutions.

“CESAR is a tremendous partner when it comes to service design, technology, and user experience.  We’ve seen how much the Center contributes, and beyond this project, we are co-developing around three new ones which, if approved, will represent over 100 million in investment. This demonstrates the trust and confidence we have in working with CESAR.” – Valter Ferreira, Corporate Strategy and Innovation at Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus

Specializing in transforming complex challenges into innovation opportunities, and accredited by funding agencies like Embrapii and MOVER, CESAR operates at the epicenter of developing solutions for smart mobility, promoting integration between technology, people, vehicles, and the urban environment.

If your company is seeking a partner to elevate its mobility projects with innovative end-to-end solutions supported by funding agencies, count on CESAR. Together, we can shape the future of urban mobility. Speak with a consultant and discover how we can transform tomorrow, today.