Development of a Safety-Centric Autonomous Vehicle Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis System

The client faces challenges in systematically identifying potential hazards, assessing risks, and ensuring safety in fully autonomous vehicles operating on predefined routes, especially in complex industrial environments. Ensuring safety and regulatory compliance while managing dynamic road conditions and system faults remains a critical concern.

A large-scale Tier 1 supplier specializing in advanced automotive systems and autonomous vehicle technology development, focusing on safety, cybersecurity, and functional safety compliance.

• Develop a comprehensive hazard analysis framework aligned with automotive safety standards (ISO 26262) to identify potential dangerous scenarios during autonomous vehicle operation.
• Create a risk assessment methodology incorporating severity, exposure, and controllability parameters to quantify hazard risks.
• Design and implement safety mechanisms to detect, prevent, or mitigate system faults rapidly, ensuring passenger and bystander safety.
• Establish safety goals and safe states for autonomous vehicle behavior under various fault and environmental conditions.
• Ensure system security and safety of the intended functionality (SOTIF) by integrating cybersecurity measures into risk analysis processes.
• Support compliance with industry safety standards through rigorous hazard analysis, fault tree analysis, and safety validation processes.

• Sensor data fusion and processing modules for obstacle detection and classification in dynamic industrial environments.
• Hazard identification engine based on predefined vehicle operational states and scenarios.
• Risk assessment module implementing hazard severity, probability (exposure), and controllability metrics per ISO 26262 standards.
• Fault tree analysis integration for iterative safety validation and hazard scenario refinement.
• Safety goal management system supporting the definition and monitoring of top-level safety objectives.
• Cybersecurity and SOTIF integrated safety measures to enhance safety of the intended functionality and protect against malicious threats.
• An alert and response system that activates appropriate safety measures and safe states in response to detected system faults or unsafe conditions.

• Vehicle sensor arrays (LiDAR, radar, cameras) for real-time environment perception
• Vehicle CAN bus and control systems for system status monitoring
• Hazard and safety analysis databases
• Cybersecurity threat intelligence platforms
• Compliance and safety validation tools

• System should support real-time processing with latency under 100 milliseconds for hazard detection and response.
• High availability with 99.999% uptime to ensure continuous safety monitoring.
• Scalability to support upgrades and additional sensors or scenarios without significant redesign.
• Robust security measures to prevent data tampering and unauthorized access, with compliance to automotive cybersecurity standards.

The implementation of a comprehensive hazard analysis and risk assessment system will significantly enhance vehicle safety, reducing the likelihood of hazardous failures during operations. It is estimated to improve safety compliance adherence, enable rapid fault detection and mitigation, and support the development of autonomous vehicles capable of operating reliably in complex industrial environments, ultimately increasing stakeholder confidence and market competitiveness.