URCA

Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne

Presentation

The University Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA) is a higher education institution with 5 centres of activity: Reims, Troyes, Charleville-Mézières, Châlons-en-Champagne and Chaumont. The University has a total of 28,450 students in 4 major fields:

  • Art, Literature and Languages
  • Law, Economics and Management,
  • Human and Social Sciences,
  • Technology and Health Sciences.

Its second mission is research. URCA has 31 research units.

The Lab-I* computer science laboratory brings together URCA members working in computer science across two major areas: connected objects and AI/data. Lab-I* is involved in the field of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) and has been recognised, since SCOOP@F, as a site for bench testing equipment. Since then Lab-I* has been involved in writing up validation, evaluation, safety and various POC (proof of concept) deliverables. Lab-I* has led several working groups and tasks covering specifications, implementations and testing of communication protocols, safety and various architectures.

Lab-I*’s various activities include:

  • Developing an algorithm called Fuldon for unsupervised data classification.  This algorithm has been applied to vehicle data to classify different drivers (Emilien Bourdy Liebart)
  • Using the BLE protocol to exchange C-ITS messages securely. Assessing message reception, including messages signed and split into several fragments so as not to exceed the maximum packet size in BLE
  • Using classification tools employed in big data to model driver profiles, especially when a vehicle deviates from its trajectory.
  • Optimising intersection crossings through reinforcement learning by Ahmed Mejdoubi and via a statistical approach by Julien Rouyer
  • Studying trajectory signatures in C-ITS data (Juliette Moso) and projection onto urban environments (Mohamed Benzagouta)
  • Optimising the security of communications in C-ITS using machine learning algorithms by Ramzi Boutahala
  • Developing a methodology for optimising the placement of road-side units, drawing in part on Jules Klein’s thesis
  • Studying the security profile of C-ITS equipment, based on Eloise Robard’s thesis
  • Predicting the transit time between the 160 largest cities in France with Axele Garrat's internship
  • Studying and developing distributed algorithms for automated vehicles (AV) passing through road intersections

It was the host site for the 2018 (safety) and 2019 (final) TestFests of the Intercor project.

https://www.univ-reims.fr/ Nouvelle fenêtre

Projects / Use Cases

URCA is responsible for coordinating the various evaluations planned during SCALE, as well as leading the Technical Evaluation Working Group. It also oversees all the project’s external communication activities (annual newsletters, news articles, communication plan, editorial calendar, printed materials, etc.).

Furthermore, the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne is responsible for testing the validation of all use cases relating to Roadside Units (RSUs) and on-board units for operators (OBUo). It also aims to obtain certification for this activity by the end of the SCALE project. Furthermore, all use cases can be validated offline.

Finally, URCA leads the activities of the Working Group on Automated Vehicles (AV OBU WG).

The University Reims Champagne-Ardenne validates the following use cases:

  • Road works warning (B): lane closure, carriageway tilting
  • Signage applications (C): dynamic speed, virtual signs and electronic tolls
  • Hazardous location notifications (D)
  • Alert extreme weather conditions (E6) and traffic jam ahead (E7)
  • Information on parking lots location, availability and services in urban area (F1)
  • Traffic light management (G1, G5, G6),
  • Dynamic traffic ban to specific vehicles (H2), dynamic lane management – reserved lane (I2V) (H4) and HGV overtaking ban (H6)
  • Level crossing (K)

At the same time, URCA is developing a number of tools for verifying, testing and evaluating C-ITS systems:

  • A C-ITS stack
  • C-ITS certificate loading protocols
  • An Open Street Map-based navigation tool
  • Development of speed advice algorithms for the GLOSA service
  • An extension of the OMNET++ platform to include several algorithms for changing pseudonymous certificates
  • Development of systems for sending C-ITS messages using the BLE protocol

Find out more about the projects:

Timeline

URCA will host the COCSIC on 24 and 25 May 2023.

URCA will take part in the Cross-Border Tests 2023 in Dublin.

Generic contacts - services

Hacène FOUCHAL (hacene.fouchal@univ-reims.fr), university professor, contact person at URCA