SCOOP, the project in which Renault is preparing the infrastructure for autonomous vehicles

One of the main difficulties that autonomous vehicles will have to overcome is communication, on the one hand with the infrastructure and, on the other hand but no less important, between the other autonomous vehicles that are on the road. This point is perhaps the most critical, since for example at an intersection, our safety depends directly on the correct communication between the vehicles involved.

Working in this direction is Renault, directly in support of the SCOOP project, a project being carried out in France in which various entities collaborate, such as the French Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, local authorities, infrastructure managers, universities and research and scientific study centres. SCOOP began its journey in 2014, and now, after three years of research, it has finally matured enough to get rolling in real-world trials.

To do so, Renault uses no fewer than 1,000 units of the Renault Megane, which will incidentally be manufactured at the Spanish plant in Palencia, to develop connectivity between vehicles (V2V) and between vehicles and infrastructure (V2X). These models will be allocated to fleet customers, who will take part directly in the project using these Meganes, preparing the ecosystem for the autonomous and connected vehicles of the future.

The SCOOP system is based on an onboard unit installed in these Renault Meganes, which emits warning messages using a high-performance communication protocol over WiFi-type radio waves; it also uses the latest generation of ITS G5 technologies with a specific frequency of 5.9 GHz, characterised by being specifically suited to moving objects and by offering a range of up to 1,000 metres.

Once the car starts moving, the protocol checks at all times that the messages it receives are authentic, in order to act in real time, thus avoiding any type of collision. In addition, infrastructure managers such as SANEF in France will be able to send messages to all these vehicles with information on traffic conditions, roadworks, permitted speeds and any accidents or obstacles on the carriageway.

But this does not end here, since a series of sensors and computers installed in the vehicle collect various information about it, such as the vehicle’s speed, steering angle, the potential loss of tyre grip due to weather conditions, the activation of the windscreen wipers or the deployment of the airbags, among others. In the event of a problem being detected, the vehicle in question sends a warning message to the other models with SCOOP installed, which in turn alert the emergency services in the event of a serious accident.