HERCULES · Project

Real-Time Computing Boards That Make Autonomous Vehicles and Drones Safer and Cheaper

transportTestedTRL 6

hercules2020.eu

Imagine your car's self-driving computer needs to process camera, radar, and sensor data instantly — but it also can't drain the battery or overheat. HERCULES built the software and hardware to run multiple safety-critical tasks on a single powerful chip, the same way your phone runs many apps at once but with guaranteed response times. They created ready-to-use boards for autonomous cars and aircraft visual recognition, plus the operating systems to run them predictably. Think of it as giving embedded computers a reliable traffic cop so no critical task ever gets stuck waiting in line.

By the numbers

EUR 2,072,300

EU contribution for developing real-time embedded computing platform

consortium partners across 4 countries

total deliverables produced

demonstrated prototypes including final boards and software packages

57%

industry participation ratio in the consortium

industrial use cases validated (autonomous driving + avionic visual recognition)

The business problem

What needed solving

Autonomous vehicles, drones, and industrial robots need to process massive amounts of sensor data in real time while keeping power consumption low enough for battery operation. Current solutions either deliver high performance without timing guarantees, or provide real-time predictability on expensive, power-hungry dedicated hardware. Companies building safety-critical embedded systems face a painful trade-off between performance, power, cost, and reliability.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered final integration boards for automotive (autonomous driving) and avionic (visual recognition) applications with FPGA accelerators. It also produced complete software stacks: a real-time Linux OS, a lightweight RTOS (ERIKA Enterprise), a multi-OS virtualization layer allowing both to run concurrently on the same chip, and an optimized runtime for parallel heterogeneous platforms — all with user manuals.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive Tier-1 suppliers developing ADAS and autonomous driving compute platformsAvionics and drone manufacturers needing certified real-time visual processingRobotics companies building multi-sensor safety-critical controllersEmbedded systems integrators working with heterogeneous multi-core processorsIndustrial equipment manufacturers consolidating multiple control units onto single boards

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive

enterprise

Target: Automotive Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs developing ADAS or autonomous driving systems

If you are an automotive supplier struggling with the cost and power consumption of self-driving compute units — this project developed a final integration board with real-time guarantees for autonomous driving. The platform runs multiple operating systems on a single chip, cutting hardware costs. The consortium included 4 industry partners who validated the automotive use case across 22 deliverables.

Aerospace and Defense

enterprise

Target: Avionics system integrators and drone manufacturers

If you are an avionics company needing reliable visual recognition systems that meet strict timing guarantees — this project built a dedicated avionic board with FPGA accelerators and a lightweight real-time operating system. The system was designed to replace multiple separate compute units with one heterogeneous platform, targeting an order-of-magnitude improvement in cost and power consumption.

Industrial Automation

mid-size

Target: Robotics and embedded systems companies building safety-critical controllers

If you are a robotics or automation company needing to fuse multiple sensor streams with guaranteed response times on low-power hardware — this project delivered a multi-OS virtualization layer that runs Linux alongside a real-time OS on the same chip. The 7-partner consortium across 4 countries produced 6 demonstrated prototypes including optimized runtimes for parallel heterogeneous platforms.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt this technology?

The project was funded with EUR 2,072,300 in EU contribution under an Innovation Action scheme, which typically aims at near-market technology. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the coordinator (University of Modena) and the 4 industry partners. The 2 SMEs in the consortium may offer commercial licensing paths.

Can this scale to production volumes for automotive or aerospace?

The project delivered final integration boards for both automotive and avionic applications, with FPGA modules and accelerators. As an Innovation Action with 57% industry participation, it was designed with industrial scalability in mind. However, moving from validated prototypes to mass production would require additional engineering and certification.

Who owns the IP and how is it licensed?

IP is distributed among the 7 consortium partners across 4 countries (Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy). The coordinator is University of Modena. The 4 industry partners likely hold commercial exploitation rights for their respective contributions, particularly the board designs and runtime software.

Does the real-time operating system meet automotive or avionics safety standards?

The project developed both a lightweight RTOS (ERIKA Enterprise) and a real-time Linux variant for many-core platforms, with final software packages and user manuals delivered. Based on available project data, the systems target predictable performance but specific certification against ISO 26262 or DO-178C would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

How does this compare to existing solutions like AUTOSAR or VxWorks?

HERCULES specifically addresses heterogeneous multi-core platforms where multiple computing elements run at lower frequencies for better power efficiency. The multi-OS virtualization allows Linux and ERIKA Enterprise to run concurrently on the same system-on-chip, which is a distinct approach from traditional single-OS embedded solutions. The project targeted an order-of-magnitude improvement in cost and power consumption over existing approaches.

What was actually demonstrated and when?

The project ran from 2016 to 2018 and delivered 22 total deliverables including 6 demonstrated prototypes: final boards for automotive and avionics, a multi-OS virtualization package, optimized parallel runtimes, a lightweight RTOS, and real-time Linux — all with technical user manuals.

Consortium

Who built it

The HERCULES consortium is well-balanced for technology transfer with 7 partners across 4 countries (Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy). The 57% industry ratio — 4 industrial partners including 2 SMEs alongside 3 universities — signals genuine commercial intent rather than a purely academic exercise. The coordinator is the University of Modena (Italy), a strong embedded systems research institution. The presence of German and Swiss industrial partners suggests ties to the automotive and precision engineering sectors. With EUR 2,072,300 in EU funding under an Innovation Action scheme, this project was positioned closer to market readiness than a typical research project.

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIACoordinator · IT
EVIDENCE SRLparticipant · IT
AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE GMBHparticipant · DE
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZEparticipant · CZ
MARELLI EUROPE SPAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

The coordinator is University of Modena (Italy). SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss licensing or collaboration opportunities.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if this real-time embedded platform fits your product roadmap? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with the HERCULES team and help you evaluate integration options.

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