Through the centre, uOttawa is now launching a provincially funded large-scale research project in the Kanata North tech park. This initiative, known as SITE-CAV (Secure, Intelligent, and Trustworthy Ecosystem for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles), is led by Burak Kantarci, a professor at uOttawa’s Faculty of Engineering and centre director.
Partnership and collaboration
The project is a collaboration between academia and industry bringing together experts from two other Ontario universities and 10 industry partners, four of which are in the tech park.
The collaboration goes beyond pooling resources like the indoor autonomous vehicle test track at the Kanata North campus, the uOttawa-IBM Cyber Range and supporting technologies. Partners will contribute unique strengths, including advanced research capabilities, practical industry experience and innovative technological solutions.
“Establishing this large collaboration represents a significant milestone for our research team in Kanata,” says Kantarci. “We are committed to driving meaningful advancements in technology that will benefit not only our students and academic community but also society at large.”
While focused on connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), the project delves into several critical research areas. One area is cybersecurity and cybersafety, where the team will explore solutions to CAV vulnerabilities, to prevent hacking into automotive systems such as antilock braking or distance sensors. The project will also address other cyberthreats involving radio frequency, networks and software.
Innovation through multidisciplinary collaboration
Ultrafast and reliable communications are a crucial part of the project. The team is working to enhance real-time data processing, monitoring and AI-driven decision-making, enabling vehicles to quickly respond to dangers like oncoming traffic or pedestrians crossing the street.
This communication aspect is vital, as CAVs increasingly interact with external technologies, including other CAVs, highway sensors and smart infrastructure at intersections and railways. Since any disruption, slowdown or security breach in communication could affect public safety, the SITE-CAV team also prioritizes cybersecurity in this area.
Beyond the technical aspect, the project also emphasizes the human factor, exploring public perception of CAVs, to improve human-AI interaction and foster user trust. It will also address the legal and social implications of CAVs, including the evolving landscape of algorithmic decision-making and ethical considerations that CAVs must consider in responding to real-life situations and the environment.
Thinking big about collaboration
Sean Geddes, director, innovation and partnerships, with the uOttawa Kanata North campus, emphasizes the importance of thinking big about industry collaborations and the opportunities to partner with uOttawa in the tech park.
“The SITE-CAV project is a testament to the power of collaboration. By bringing together the best in academia and industry, the project can tackle complex industry challenges and develop cutting-edge CAV solutions, while providing unique training environments for our graduate students. Through initiatives like SITE-CAV, uOttawa is showing in real time the transformative impact of collaborative research and development,” says Geddes.
In just three short years, the Smart Connected Vehicle Innovation Centre has collaborated with at least 14 Kanata North industry partners on projects, enabled unique training experiences for students through research internships in the tech park, created a formal industry-guided training program and generated impact through research and innovation.
Support for the SITE-CAV project comes from the Ontario Research Fund — Research Excellence program, which supports leading-edge, transformative, industry-relevant and internationally significant research of strategic importance to Ontario. Total funding from the ORF-RE is $1 million, which will be added to $2.5 million from industry partners over four years.
Interested in collaborating with uOttawa? Connect with the uOttawa Kanata North team to explore how you can partner and innovate with them.
