Imagine a convoy of trucks driving bumper-to-bumper on the highway to save fuel — they need to talk to each other constantly, especially when entering tunnels where radio signals bounce off walls unpredictably. ROADART figured out how to design and place antennas on trucks so their communication stays reliable even in the worst conditions. They built a complete system and tested it on a real 7 km highway in the Netherlands, proving that truck-to-truck and truck-to-road communication can work safely in practice.
Truck platooning — where multiple trucks drive in tight formation to cut fuel consumption — depends entirely on reliable vehicle-to-vehicle communication. But trucks are much larger than cars, and the antenna solutions designed for passenger vehicles simply do not work for truck-trailer combinations, especially in tunnels where radio signals scatter unpredictably off walls. Without solving this communication reliability problem, autonomous truck platooning remains too risky for real-world deployment.
The project built and demonstrated a complete truck communication system including optimized antenna architectures for truck-trailer combinations, diversity algorithms for maintaining signal quality, and ray tracing models for tunnel environments. The full system was demonstrated on a real 7 km highway with roadside infrastructure.
If you are a logistics fleet operator dealing with rising fuel costs and driver shortages — this project developed a complete truck-to-truck communication system optimized for platooning, where trucks drive closely together to reduce air drag. The system was demonstrated on a real 7 km highway test site, covering critical scenarios like tunnel passages where standard communication fails.
If you are an automotive electronics supplier building V2V or V2I communication hardware — this project solved the antenna integration challenge specific to truck-trailer combinations, which are too large for passenger car approaches. The consortium of 4 partners across 3 countries developed and validated antenna diversity algorithms tailored to heavy-duty vehicles.
If you are a road infrastructure operator concerned about truck safety in tunnels — this project demonstrated truck-to-infrastructure communication systems that maintain signal quality even when tunnel walls interfere with antenna patterns. The system was tested with roadside units equipped with cameras and ITS G5 wireless communication on the Dutch DITCM test site.
The EU invested EUR 3,906,870 into developing and validating the complete system across a consortium of 4 partners. Specific per-unit hardware costs are not disclosed in the project data, but the technology builds on existing ITS G5 standards, which could reduce integration costs for fleet operators.
The system was demonstrated on a 7 km highway stretch at the Dutch DITCM test site, proving it works in real conditions including tunnel passages. The architecture is designed around standard V2V and V2I protocols from the C2C Communication Consortium, which supports large-scale deployment across European road networks.
The coordinator IMST GMBH (Germany, SME) led a consortium of 4 partners including 2 industry players. IP terms would be governed by the consortium agreement. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing of antenna designs, diversity algorithms, and ray tracing models.
The system is built on V2V and V2I specifications from the C2C Communication Consortium, which aligns with European ITS standards. Testing was conducted at the officially recognized Dutch Integrated Test Site for Cooperative Mobility (DITCM), a government-supported testing infrastructure.
The project ran from 2015 to 2018 and progressed from architecture design through component testing to a full system demonstration. Based on available project data, the technology has been validated in real conditions but would need engineering adaptation for specific truck models and fleet configurations.
The system uses ITS G5 wireless communication standards, which are the European standard for cooperative vehicle systems. Integration with existing fleet management would depend on your current telematics stack, but the use of open standards supports interoperability.
The ROADART consortium is compact but well-balanced for technology development: 4 partners across Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands, with a 50% industry ratio. The coordinator IMST GMBH is a German SME specializing in wireless and antenna technology, which means the IP sits with a company small enough to engage directly with potential customers rather than through layers of corporate bureaucracy. Having 2 industry partners alongside 1 university and 1 research organization ensured the technology was built with commercial viability in mind. The Dutch test site connection (DITCM) adds credibility for anyone needing proof that this works beyond the lab.
IMST GMBH is a German SME specializing in RF and antenna solutions — reach their business development team through their company website
Want an introduction to the ROADART team? SciTransfer can connect you with the coordinator and arrange a technical briefing tailored to your fleet or product needs.
