Siemens Mobility Limited has won a contract with Transport for West Midlands to provide connected mobility infrastructure and software services for the Midlands Future Mobility (MFM) project.
The MFM programme will see the creation of the largest on-street testbed of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) in the UK, Siemens said.
A network of more than 300 kilometres of roads is set to be equipped with roadside units, closed circuit television, global navigation satellite system correction equipment and weather stations.
The project will enable the managed interaction between CAVs and other road users across Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull.
MFM aims to make West Midlands a world-leading destination for CAV technology research and development- one capable of facilitating the move to SAE Level 4+ autonomous (vehicles which are ‘self-driving’ in certain conditions).
Acting as principal contractor for Phase 1 programme, which covers the first 50 sites, Siemens Mobility will be installing the required infrastructure and software services for the first two years of operation.
The company’s work will include:
- The provision of test on-board units
- Installation of equipment on new and existing infrastructures
- Connection to CCTV video analytics and weather sensors
- Provision and delivery of a communications network
- Commissioning and testing of all equipment following installation
Wilke Reints, managing director of ITS for Siemens Mobility in the UK, said: 'With CAVs offering huge potential to improve safety, reduce congestion and help optimise traffic flow, this project is a further demonstration of the UK’s capabilities in this exciting and fast-moving sector.
'It allows us collectively to demonstrate how smart technology enables vehicles to be connected via high-speed, high-capacity wireless infrastructure across a whole road network, with no loss of signal.
'Building on our previous work with projects including UK Autodrive and UK CITE, projects such as MFM are a great example of how our focus on digitalisation makes mobility infrastructure and networks more intelligent and ultimately delivers an enhanced experience for road users and for people who live in our cities.'
