ASCENT: Autonomous Vehicular Edge Computing and Networking for Intelligent Transportation

智能交通系统（ITS）对于提高道路安全、缓解交通拥堵和节约交通能源至关重要。然而，由于ITS的复杂和动态的操作环境，包括快速移动的车辆、波动的车辆通信和稀缺的计算资源，ITS在满足新兴的关键任务应用（例如，自动驾驶和实时智能交通控制）。为了应对这些挑战，ASCENT旨在与世界领先的专家组成一个国际性、多学科和跨部门的联盟，以创建一个由先进的人工智能（AI）技术支持的新型自主车辆边缘计算和网络系统，以实现可靠和高效的ITS。具体而言，ASCENT将在突破性技术方面率先开展研究和创新（R&I），包括：1）一种新颖且可扩展的系统架构，可实现敏捷和可靠的ITS服务供应; 2）由定制的联合深度学习方法推动的原始分布式AI框架，以提供普遍的智能; 3）创新的分析工具，以准确预测动态网络状态，包括网络流量和信道质量; 4）自主和智能资源管理方案，以支持关键任务ITS服务。ASCENT将提升多个学科合作伙伴的R&I能力，并建立一个长期的跨学科和跨部门的知识共享平台，具有互补的专业知识。参与的研究人员将通过广泛的R&I行动和精心策划的网络活动进行培训，以丰富他们的技能组合并提高他们的职业前景。ASCENT的成果将大大有助于提高欧盟的竞争力，并将我们的运输系统转变为更安全，更智能，更绿色的未来ITS。

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are vital for enhancing road safety, alleviating traffic congestion, and saving energy in transport. However, due to the complex and dynamic operating environments of ITS including fast-moving vehicles, fluctuating vehicular communications, and scarce computing resources, ITS face unprecedented challenges in meeting the stringent service requirements in terms of ultra-high reliability and low-latency, demanded by the emerging mission-critical applications (e.g., autonomous driving and real-time intelligent traffic control). To address these challenges, ASCENT aims to form an international, multidisciplinary, and inter-sectoral consortium with world-leading experts to create a novel Autonomous Vehicular Edge Computing and Networking system empowered by advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies towards achieving reliable and efficient ITS. Specifically, ASCENT will pioneer research and innovations (R&I) on ground-breaking technologies including: 1) a novel and scalable system architecture that enables agile and reliable ITS service provisioning; 2) an original distributed AI framework fuelled by bespoke federated deep learning methods to offer pervasive intelligence; 3) innovative analytics tools to accurately predict dynamic network status including network traffic and channel quality; 4) autonomous and smart resource management schemes to support mission-critical ITS services. ASCENT will boost the R&I capability of partners in multiple disciplines and create a long-term cross-discipline and cross-sector knowledge-sharing platform with complementary expertise. The researchers involved will be trained through extensive R&I actions and well-planned networking activities to enrich their skill sets as well as enhance their career perspectives. The outcomes of ASCENT will significantly contribute to enhance the EU's competitiveness and transforming our transportation systems into safer, smarter, and greener future ITS.