Gama is one of the 23 partners contributing their expertise to the tasks of the ULTIMO project. In this context, Gama is responsible for developing self-driving vehicles and software, advancing ULTIMO towards the goal of implementing large scale, accessible, and widely accepted automated services.
What is the role of Gama in the project?
At Gama, a France-based developer, we specialize in creating self-driving solutions for both passengers and goods. Our software intelligence encompasses everything from precise site mapping to fleet supervision and monitoring, including in-house sensing, perception, localization, and decision-making for autonomous vehicles. Our mission is to enhance the capabilities of local service providers by working closely with them, ensuring they have the operational support they need right where they operate. Currently, our technology is making waves across Europe and globally, including in markets like Japan and the United States.
In Europe, our vehicles are currently operating on open roads in many countries, particularly in Switzerland and Germany, through close collaboration with two PTOs, partners in the ULTIMO project: TPG and DB Regio.
Issam Mamlouk, Gama
23 partners work at ULTIMO. What inspires your company to do this?
Working on the ULTIMO project is an incredible opportunity to shape the future landscape of Automated Vehicles (AVs) in a broad sense. It’s not just about the technological challenges; we are also deeply engaged in creating a passenger-oriented economic model for AV public transport services.
The project brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including universities, tech companies, PTOs, PTAs, research centers, and consulting firms. This mix allows us to adopt a holistic approach that is both challenging and ambitious. As a manufacturer, our goal is twofold: first, we aim to collaborate with PTOs, with the support of other public transport services companies, to define a Level 4 vehicle that not only meets their requirements but also complies with the current European legal framework.
What are the goals of Gama in ULTIMO?
Our goal is to provide Level 4 vehicles that not only offer a wide range of services for passengers but also present a viable economic model for Public Transport Operators (PTOs). Always at the cutting edge of technology, we are expanding our services to meet the needs of PTOs, including access to data re-use and a supervision service, which are essential components of Level 4 technology.
Gama possesses strong expertise in vehicle Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and we are contributing to the creation of open-source APIs for seamless integration of vehicles and fleet management into Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and Logistics as a Service (LaaS) systems.
ULTIMO aims for automated transport on level 4: what is your roadmap to level 4?
Gama has integrated Level 4 autonomy into its roadmap for several years. The first commercial Level 4 deployment (without a safety operator) is planned for the first quarter of 2025 in Japan, with limited Operational Design Domain (ODD). Our aim is to deploy Level 4 AVs in compliance with regulations and safety standards. An important step is also to address passenger acceptance. Thus, the work done in ULTIMO on accessibility, transformation guidelines, and business plans is of great interest.
Standardization too is a major goal in ULTIMO. What are the challenges in this topic and how do you achieve standardization?
Standardization challenges are numerous, starting with defining an open model and architecture through the collaboration of various stakeholders in the field, including solution and service providers, as well as transport operators. For instance, Gama is primarily focused on developing a common API that enables higher-level services to connect to any vehicle. The standardization of the API does not mean that manufacturers will need to redevelop their vehicle systems, but rather add a layer that translates their native APIs to the standardized API. This task lies at the intersection of several technologies and operational methods of PTOs, manufacturers, and service providers. Standardizing interfaces requires reaching a consensus.