Cooperation with Forum Virium Helsinki boosts companies: Sensible 4 and automated driving

Project cooperation with us has provided Sensible 4 with a major leap in development, trade and internationalisation.

Sensible 4 has partnered with Forum Virium Helsinki on significant mobility projects. We asked the company what they thought of the projects and what benefits they reaped from the cooperation. Technical Marketing Manager Tuomas Sauliala responded.

Could you describe your product?

“Sensible 4 manufactures software products that enable automated driving without a driver. The product is aimed at applications of the so-called last kilometre carrying passengers or goods. The software itself is hardware-independent, i.e. any compatible sensor package, driving computer and vehicle platform is compatible with the product. The software enables a shift to the so-called level four autonomy, meaning that the vehicle is moving along a predetermined route without a driver. If a vehicle encounters an obstacle that it cannot independently go around, a remote pilot may control the vehicle. The remote control application is, indeed, an important part of the Sensible 4 product.”

What have you cooperated on with Forum Virium Helsinki and how has it been?

“We were both involved in the SOHJOA project, launched in 2016, which can also be seen as the starting point for Sensible 4. Our managing director and one of our founders, Harri Santamala, served as Project Manager for SOHJOA at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The purpose of the project was to generate new business in Finland, and this was indeed a success!”

“The FABULOS project coordinated by Forum Virium organised one of the biggest pilots we have ever participated in. It was great to be able to work on a project both in the Finnish capital of Helsinki and in the neighbouring country of Norway, even though the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic put a slight damper on the project. FABULOS was a long project, and we were able to make great strides in the development of the remote control software for vehicles, in particular. FABULOS has been one of the most significant projects for us thus far.”

“The purpose of the project was to generate new business in Finland, and this was indeed a success!”

Tuomas Sauliala, Sensible 4

What benefits have you gained from the cooperation in the projects?

“We have been able to gain exposure to self-driving vehicles in Finland and export more autonomous cars, which has accelerated our software development efforts and created new business and new projects in concrete terms. These are significant benefits and have had a major impact on the development activities, internationalisation, business and other projects of Sensible 4.”

How are you doing now, and what are your future plans?

“Sensible 4 is recruiting and growing. We are opening new pilot projects in Switzerland, Norway and Japan, and later also in Germany. The development of our software product continues steadily. Sensible 4 has several international operators in the vehicle sector as customers and partners. We are also developing and carrying out publicly funded projects with e.g. the European Union. We want to make our software product even better and remove the safety driver from the car, thereby bringing the self-driving vehicle closer to being a reality.”

Read more: sensible4.fi