Vicomtech and Intempora: Cooperation for the mobility of tomorrow

It is a self-evident reality that new mobility and logistics models are constantly and continuously in a state of transformation. The mobility of the future is being built today, and it is being done so thanks to collaboration between technological leaders who share the same vision: safer, more efficient, and more intelligent.

The alliance between Intempora and Vicomtech is a clear example of how cooperation between a technology center and a private enterprise can drive the development of advanced and digital solutions for autonomous mobility. Together, we work to turn innovation into reality, developing technologies that integrate artificial intelligence, environmental perception, and real-time decision-making, essential for the mobility of tomorrow.

Vicomtech began its journey in 2015 with European projects focused on research on automotive, as well as perception and data processing technologies. In these projects, the Connected, Cooperative and Autonomous Systems team required a software platform that would allow them to simplify the integration of their work from different types of cameras, computers, sensors, and antennas.

Intempora offered this possibility through its RTMaps middleware, capable of coordinating different sensors and algorithms to work as a unified platform on which Vicomtech could carry out its development with more agility. “They as software providers, and us as researchers, understood each other immediately, and as a result, and during those years in which we cooperated closely in projects, we strengthened ties as colleagues and have become good friends,” comments Marcos Nieto, head of the Connected, Cooperative and Autonomous Systems area.

The European projects Cloud-LSVA, VI-DAS, and 5GMETA, in which Vicomtech had leading roles, are clear examples of how new technologies are transforming mobility and autonomous driving. In all of them, RTMaps middleware has been a corner stone for the acquisition, synchronisation, and real-time processing of data from multiple sensors, establishing itself as a fundamental tool in the development of advanced mobility solutions.

Furthermore, as researchers from Vicomtech explain, using RTMaps as middleware has allowed them to achieve results in less time than it would have taken them to do it themselves, representing a paradigm shift in their work, enhancing capabilities, and obtaining better and faster results.

RTMaps has been consolidated at Vicomtech as a key tool not only to facilitate the development and integration of software components in complex environments, but also as a valuable resource for training, learning, and applied research. “When I joined Vicomtech to do my Master’s Project and  Dissertation, one of my first tasks was to learn RTMaps to be able to integrate my work into its framework. RTMaps greatly facilitates the development and testing of software components for their future integration. In my case, seeing how the modules I have developed on my PC could be deployed in the vehicle and seeing that it worked easily and in real-time surprised me a lot,” commented Mikel García, a researcher in the Connected, Cooperative, and Autonomous Systems team.

In fact, it is common that, thanks to RTMaps, staff in training can see their own modules deployed and functioning in a real vehicle smoothly, which is a significant boost to both motivation and for the practical understanding of complex systems. Often, this experience serves as support for carrying out advanced academic work such as Masters and Doctoral Theses, as was the case for Mikel García.

For Intempora, “Vicomtech skills on signal and image processing, as well as their capability to develop, test and use state of the art algorithms in various situation is astonishing. They have a foot in both words: research and industry. We have been working together for a long time, and we always had excellent results. What they can achieve in small amount of time is unbelievable! On top of hosting their proprietary algorithms on our website, we decided to propose Vicomtech to be a privileged tech partner of Intempora, this was the natural next step to do. Having them onboard with us is awesome!” said Gwenaël DUNAND, CTO of Intempora.

Beyond the purely technical and facilitation aspects, over the last 10 years Intempora has become a key strategic partner for Vicomtech's activity in the field of intelligent mobility. Over time they have become more than just collaborators, they have become travel companions and friends, with whom we share not only technological challenges, but also values, vision, and mutual trust in the promise of the future mobility.