Virtual Risk Assessment for the Deployment of Autonomous Shuttles

In recent years, autonomous shuttles have been deployed in many regions all over the world. Currently, there exists no generalized process model for conducting shuttle trials. Shuttle suppliers are using their developed procedures, making it difficult for public authorities to assess the risk of potential shuttle deployments. The Digibus® Austria flagship project, among other goals, develops an approach for the virtual risk assessment of identified critical spots along proposed shuttle paths. Embedded into the deployment process, this serves as a significant body of evidence regarding the safety assurance of shuttle trails. The first noteworthy outcomes are conducted simulation studies optimizing the shuttle's trajectory for concrete maneuvres, along with derived requirements for the associated virtual environment. Conclusively, by utilizing the restricted operational domain of the shuttle, the proposed virtual risk assessment is considered the first step towards a general procedure for the safety assurance of automated vehicles.