Real life testing Sensai - privacy statement
SENSAI is a research project which aims to evaluate the effectiveness of next-generation sensor technologies for autonomous driving. These technologies include novel types of cameras, radars and LiDARs, a combination of which is necessary to allow an autonomous vehicle to drive safely in the presence of other road users.
At the core of SENSAI is simulation: to avoid having to conduct extensive testing campaigns with the new sensor technology in a huge variety of traffic situations, we will build a ‘digital twin’; a virtual world in which we can execute traffic scenarios, choose the weather and light conditions, and experiment with different configurations of the virtual sensors.
To build a sufficiently realistic digital twin however, we need to capture a certain amount of real-world data in well-chosen situations and conditions with standard and prototype sensors.
For example, to be able to develop and test automatic emergency braking systems for when a person suddenly emerges from behind a parked car and starts crossing the road, we need to record data in streets with many parked cars as well as data at pedestrian crossings, so that we can learn how the sensors perceive both types of objects and then combine parked cars and crossing pedestrians in simulation.
The software algorithms that detect objects and people in multi-sensor data are sensitive to details. For example, the fact that a license plate is visible is a strong feature that indicates a car is present. This means that blurring all license plates during data capture would significantly reduce the usefulness of the data to learn how cameras perceive cars. Similarly, detecting that a person is present relies on detecting details such as legs and face, and automatic blurring of faces would impact the representativeness of experiments. Therefore, although identifying individuals is not a purpose of this research, the captured data may include details that could identify a person.
Privacy statement
Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum vzw (hereinafter ‘IMEC’), Kapeldreef 75, 3001 LEUVEN , is responsible for the processing of your personal data for SENSAI. IMEC values your privacy and processes your personal information in accordance with the GDPR and local privacy legislation.
For more information and questions about how Imec handles your personal data you can contact the DPO from Imec via privacy@imec.be.
What data do we collect?
In the project SENSAI, we collect following data:
- Sensor Data: Images and video footage captured by cameras (normal and infra-red), geometric information (e.g., distance, direction of movement) captured by LiDAR (a laser scanning device) which may include identifiable features or contours of Public Bystanders.
- Location Data: Information regarding the specific (street map) locations and routes taken by the sensor-equipped vehicles, which could indirectly identify the whereabouts and movements of Public Bystanders captured by the sensors.
Purpose of collecting your personal data
Your personal data is collected to
- research and analyse the effectiveness, functionalities, efficiency, and impact of the sensor technologies through real-world data collection and subsequent digital twin simulations, in which a game-like virtual world is rendered that mimics or recreates the traffic situations observed in the real world.
- publish research results.
- conduct technical assessments and identify any issues or malfunctions within the sensor technologies, enabling precise debugging and optimization of system performance under various conditions.
What is the legal ground for this process activity?
The processing of this data is necessary to pursue the legitimate interests of imec to conduct the scientific research.
How long will your personal data be stored?
Considering the potential future value of the collected data for benchmarking and researching new technologies, data will be archived for a duration of 10 years post-Project.
Who will have access to your personal data?
The following organizations and individuals may have access to the collected data. It is important to note that not every organization and individual will have access to all data that is collected in the study but only the data that is necessary to perform their tasks in the study.
Researchers from IPI, imec research group at Universiteit Gent will have access to the sensor data.
Your rights
You have certain rights under the privacy regulations, which you can exercise via the contact form on the website here. Or you can direct your request directly at privacy@imec.be.
If you disagree with this privacy statement you can also contact us at privacy@imec.be.
You can also file a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority.
Contact
IMEC VZW, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven
DPO: Klaas Ghesquiere at privacy@imec.be
You can find more information about how Imec handles your personal data here.