SARTRE [4] is a European Commission Co-Funded FP7 project that seeks to support a stepchange in transport utilization. The project vision is to develop and integrate solutions thatallow vehicles to drive in platoons resulting in a reduction in fuel consumption (potentially upto 20%), improvement in safety (anticipated 10% reduction in fatalities) and increased driverconvenience (autonomous systems for following vehicles). The project is exploring the issuesaround operating platoons on public motorways and the integration of technologies necessaryto achieve this as well as a potential charging mechanism that supports the business case.Where possible the project will use existing vehicle technologies to provide the enhancedplatooning functions. These will be demonstrated in a platoon of up to 5 vehicles.SARTRE is a three year programme with 7 partners and not only addresses the integration anddevelopment of technology necessary to implement a platooning system but also the humanfactors that are relevant in the operation of the system. These human factors broadly fall intothree categories: driver of the lead vehicle, drivers of the following vehicles and drivers ofother vehicles on the motorway. The project aims to encourage a step change in personaltransport usage through the development of safe environmental road trains (platoons). Projectprogress may be monitored via the project website [4].This paper provides an overview of the SARTRE project and the specific approach taken bythe partners that will result in a prototype platoon being available for demonstration in 2012.The paper also presents some of the initial results identified in the programme.
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