ESAUTOMATIX. The revolution in autonomous industrial mobility
The automotive industry is in a constant search for efficiency and sustainability. In a world where digital transformation sets the pace, factories need to be smarter, safer, and more autonomous. Under this premise, the ESAUTOMATIX project was born, an ambitious initiative seeking to redefine how newly manufactured vehicles move within production plants.
At Luce IT, we are passionate about being part of projects that not only innovate but transform real processes. Today we want to tell you what ESAUTOMATIX is, what objectives it pursues, and what our crucial role has been to ensure that data flows securely and sovereignly.
What is the ESAUTOMATIX project?
The main objective of ESAUTOMATIX is to research and develop a new mobility technology in controlled environments. The idea is simple but technologically complex: to allow a vehicle to function autonomously exclusively within the factory.
Currently, when a vehicle finishes its manufacturing process, it must be driven manually to the storage area, covering average distances of up to 2 km. This implies not only time and human resources but also additional trips to pick up drivers, generating unnecessary CO2 emissions.
ESAUTOMATIX proposes a dual architecture: the vehicle can be operated remotely or autonomously within the facilities, but this functionality is totally deactivated once the car leaves the factory and is delivered to the final customer. This improves logistics efficiency, reduces the carbon footprint, and optimizes plant resources.
A joint effort: The consortium
This project would not be possible without the effective collaboration of leading entities in their sectors. The consortium consists of:
- Renault Group: Project leader, in charge of researching the vehicle architecture and the adaptations necessary to receive external orders.
- AIR Institute: Technology center focused on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, vital for protecting vehicle communications.
- Luce IT: In charge of data architecture, communications middleware, and digital sovereignty.
Luce IT’s role in ESAUTOMATIX
In an environment where connectivity is key, ensuring who controls the data and how it is transmitted is fundamental. Luce IT’s role in ESAUTOMATIX has been strategic and has focused on guaranteeing the digital sovereignty of the generated data.
Our work has focused on three pillars:
- Middleware Design: We have researched and designed the intermediate software architecture (middleware) that connects the factory infrastructure with the vehicle. This piece is key to abstracting communication, making the system scalable to different vehicles and factories.
- “Black Box” Functionality: This middleware not only transmits data but acts as a secure storage system, recording the information flow in real-time for analysis and control.
- Technological Independence: We have worked to avoid “vendor lock-in,” ensuring that Renault maintains control and ownership of its data and structures, regardless of agreements with third parties. This allows regulating who accesses the data and defining robust security policies.
Thanks to this research, we have helped lay the foundations for a safer Industry 4.0, where innovation does not compromise the ownership or security of critical information.
Acknowledgments and Funding
The success of projects of this magnitude depends on the institutional support that fosters R&D+i in our region.
This project has been co-financed by the Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castilla y León (ICE) and by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the aim of promoting technological development, innovation, and quality research..
Are you interested in optimizing your data management?
At Luce IT, we are experts in guaranteeing information sovereignty, integration, and quality in complex environments. If you are looking to optimize your processes with our Data Platform or need advanced architecture and Cybersecurity solutions, do not hesitate to contact us.
FAQ
What is data sovereignty in Industry 4.0?
In the context of Industry 4.0 and the ESAUTOMATIX project, digital or data sovereignty is defined as the ability to control our digital destiny, that is, the data, hardware, and software relied upon and created.
To ensure this sovereignty and avoid third-party dependence (vendor lock-in), three key facets are addressed:
- Geographical: Ensuring that, even if data is processed by third parties, the company (in this case Renault) processes it first, allowing its storage and knowledge of structures before transmission.
- Operational: Having the ability to regulate who has access to the data, being able to close or open transmission to third-party participants as needed.
- Policies: Defining concrete rules on data access, such as restricting certain sensitive information that affects the core business.
What is a middleware for in connected cars?
A middleware in the field of connected cars acts as a vital intermediate software layer for communication and security. Its main functions are:
- Abstraction and Connection: Serves as a bridge between the factory’s connected infrastructure and the vehicle, allowing the system to be scalable to different car models and factories.
- Black Box: Offers data storage functionalities, acting as a “black box” that records the exchanged information.
- Data Control: It is capable of controlling the data flow in real-time, storing it when necessary, and performing transformations to ensure interoperability between vehicles and third parties.
- Security: Helps secure communications between the infrastructure and the vehicle, protecting against intrusions.
Real-time data management for automotive
Real-time data management is fundamental for operational efficiency and decision-making in automotive. In the described project:
- It is implemented through a middleware infrastructure designed to control the real-time data flow between the vehicle and the factory.
- This management allows for route optimization to improve vehicle movement efficiency within the plant.
- Facilitates interoperability and necessary data transformation so that different systems and third parties can work together without delays.
Renault autonomous driving project in plant (ESAUTOMATIX)
The ESAUTOMATIX project, led by Renault Group in collaboration with Luce IT and AIR Institute, aims to research a new mobility technology for controlled environments (factories).
Its main characteristics are:
- Dual Architecture: Seeks to develop vehicles capable of operating autonomously only within the factory to automate their exit from the production line, but functioning in a conventional manual way once delivered to the customer.
- Security: Implements robust cybersecurity systems to prevent the autonomous functionality from being activated outside the factory or by malicious attackers.
- Efficiency: Aims to improve resource management and factory efficiency by automating the internal movements of newly manufactured vehicles.
Environmental benefits of automation in car factories
Automating vehicle movement within the plant brings important environmental benefits, aligned with climate change mitigation:
- Reduction of CO2 Emissions: By moving vehicles autonomously to their storage area (an average of 2 km), trips currently made by drivers and shuttle vehicles to pick up said drivers are eliminated.
- Fuel Savings: It is estimated that this technology will allow avoiding about 300 km of travel per shift (or 600 km per day in two shifts) of auxiliary vehicles, significantly reducing energy and fuel consumption.
Efficiency: Route optimization through data governance contributes to greater global energy efficiency in the factory’s logistics processes.
