Master student Engineering Systems wins Traffic Prize
On 3 November, Ravi Chaudhary, master student at HAN Engineering Systems, received the Traffic Engineering Prize for the best university of applied sciences thesis of the Netherlands. This took place during the pre-congress of the National Traffic Engineering Congress.
Safe road infrastructure
Ravi's master thesis 'Infrastructure Assessment for Operational Design Domain of Lane-Keeping System' already received the highest mark during his graduation! It is an applied study about a practical method to test Lane-Keeping systems. These systems use a camera that monitors whether you accidentally leave your lane.
Ravi Chaudhary (30) did his graduation at Royal HaskoningDHV. His research focuses on developing a methodology for assessing road infrastructure to ensure the safe operation of Lane-Keeping System (LKS) vehicles. And to help road authorities make informed decisions.
Three-pronged approach
Do vehicle manufacturers have the right knowledge of infrastructure and the conditions under which the vehicle must be able to perform its tasks? And what do road authorities, in turn, need to take into account? Ravi tested the LKS of different vehicles on different types of infrastructure. In doing so, he followed a three-pronged approach:
- The factors related to road infrastructure and environmental conditions that affect LKS performance were identified.
- Research into how LKS performance can be used to assess road infrastructure readiness.
- Building a tool to apply the developed understanding to the huge road network, identify the hotspots where LKS can fail and calculate the different 'Levels of Service' provided by the infrastructure for LKS.
Ravi's research shows that different vehicles perform their automatic task in different ways. Moreover, he discovered some 'blind spots' in the infrastructure for this automatic driving task. His thesis shows that our roads are not yet ready for self-driving (autonomous) vehicles. This is still an interesting task for road managers and policymakers in the Netherlands to tackle.
I'm proud to be the winner, and its very rewarding. I'm glad my thesis is so well received.
Why HAN Master Engineering Systems?
Ravi is from India and chose HAN Master Engineering Systems because it is one of the best options worldwide. The inspiration for his subject comes from his own desire to contribute to safety from a technical point of view.
Are you interested in the Master Engineering Systems? Then check in during our online Open Day on 20 November.
Sources: Verkeerskunde.nl, HAN Automotive Research
Photography: Ravi Chaudhary
