Public procurement notice: Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice
Published: 2020-10-30
Buyer: Aalto-korkeakoulusäätiö sr
Country: FI
Contract type: Supplies
Procedure: Negotiated without a prior call for competition
CPV classification: 34300000 | 48000000
Estimated value: 420000 USD

Technical requirements: Aalto University is making a procurement of an autonomous driving kit ‘AS Autoware Kit’ from Autonomous Stuff LLC. The kit will be integrated into an existing passenger vehicle.
The Autonomy and Mobility Lab (AML) of Aalto University is conducting research on autonomous driving, which would bring multiple socio-economical benefits for the societies in Finland and abroad. To name few, autonomous driving will significantly improve traffic safety, efficiency, and comfort, simultaneously enhancing human well-being and battling inequality and non-affordability. Lastly, it will unlock mobility for the most vulnerable members of the communities, e.g., elderly, disabled, children.
For this research, a real autonomous driving research platform is compulsory. The platform comes in two main components integrated with each other: a vehicle demonstrator and additional hardware/software stack for perception, localisation, and control. The stack consists of high-quality sensors accompanied with software not available in series passenger vehicles. Aalto University has been seeking an experienced service provider, to compile a fully integrated hardware/software stack compatible with series passenger vehicle.
The requirements are carefully defined by the AML members to successfully meet all the project objectives: the ready-to-use system must consist of an integrated sensor kit, racks for sensors attachment to the vehicle, basic perception and control algorithms for functionality demonstration.
Main software requirements include: open source support (it must be easily consolidated with software and algorithms developed by the AML members); perception and control algorithms to ensure sensors integration to the vehicle platform. The algorithms must demonstrate basic autonomous driving capability (i.e., performing similar actions as human driver, throttle control, steering, signal light control, etc.); real-time operation; firmware, software, and interface connections in between control units; enabled building, testing, and deployment of the automated vehicle applications.
Main hardware requirements include: on-board computer (with GPU) and data collection and storage device; advanced perception and localisation sensors (i.e., external lidars, radars, cameras, etc.) that are essential for autonomous driving research; attachable, customisable racks to mount the sensors on the vehicle; capabilities for powering the system using vehicle integrated power lines (there must be a power management control unit for all the installations as well as unused resources for future installations).
Main safety requirements: an approved safety concept (e.g., Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) assessment or equivalent); and delivered with safety documents (i.e., HARA by ISO 26262 Standard) and safety driver training tutorial. To ensure reliability, the service provider must have a significant experience on successfully completed similar services. The installed platform must not conflict with the existing state-of-the-art safety functions (i.e., advanced driver assistance systems) included in series vehicle demonstrator. It must allow for safe vehicle usage on public roads and termination of the experimental algorithms if conflict appears.
Main service requirements: The functionality of the installed system must be demonstrated at Aalto’s site, due to safety. Among others, Lidar or GNSS based waypoint demonstration in University provided area must be included. The service provider must give a comprehensive hands-on user training on hardware and software. Support on future hardware/software integration or modification, such as different sensor installation, must be available. The service provider must guarantee a reasonable and strict delivery timeframe.
A combination of requirements regarding software, hardware, safety features and provided service is needed in order to conduct the intended research. The needed autonomous driving platform for research must enable hardware and software development, testing, and research. Hence, it includes not only technical requirements, but also safety and service requirements. After careful and comprehensive market research, (including e.g. several meetings with potential partners, surveyed online sources, communication with people from related business network, etc.), no other companies were found that could provide the combination fulfilling the requirements.


Winner: Autonomous Stuff LLC
Award value: 420000