Data reduction (DR) techniques for the controller area network (CAN) are being developed to reduce the increased bus load caused by the growing number of electronic control units (ECUs) and automotive software complexity in modern automobiles. DR techniques enable the transmission of the same information with less bandwidth, effectively reducing the busload in CAN-based networks. Modern vehicles are composed of various in-vehicle network (IVN) protocols, such as CAN, local interconnect network (LIN), and Ethernet. However, existing DR techniques only consider the communication between CAN nodes. The application of DR techniques to a CAN bus may lead to compatibility issues when communicating with heterogeneous IVN protocols. This paper proposed a CAN/Ethernet gateway system for seamless communication with CAN DR. The proposed gateway system was implemented on a TC275-based embedded system, and its performance was evaluated and analyzed. The experimental results revealed that CAN DR compression effectively improves both the CAN bus load and end-to-end processing time of the gateway system. The CAN bus load was reduced by up to 33.68%, and the average end-to-end processing time was reduced to 336 μs.

Controller area network (CAN) data-reduction techniques have been developed to reduce CAN bus loads, which have increased due to the large number of electronic control units in modern automobiles. Automotive communication uses various in-vehicle network. These techniques make it possible that same information to be sent using less bandwidth. However, the existing CAN DR algorithms only consider the CAN network. Automotive communication uses various in-vehicle network (IVN) protocols such as CAN, FlexRay, and Ethernet. The use of DR techniques may cause compatibility issue in heterogenous IVNs. This paper proposes a gateway system for data-reduced communication between Ethernet and CAN systems with data-reduction. The proposed gateway system receives a compressed CAN message, decompresses it, and transmits it to the Ethernet network. Additionally, the gateway receives a normal Ethernet message, compresses it, and transmits it to the CAN protocol. An evaluation of the performance of the developed gateway system is also presented.

Despite the growing importance of autonomous driving (AD) education, educators face substantial challenges in providing undergraduate students with accessible, hands-on learning experiences that connect theory and practice. AD education requires students to master complex, interdisciplinary systems, yet traditional teaching methods often fail to fully integrate theory and practice. Various strategies, such as simulation environments and small-scale autonomous vehicle platforms, have been explored to address these challenges. However, these approaches often lack the realism or scalability required to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of AD systems. To address these challenges, we developed and evaluated a competition-based learning framework designed to teach AD software technology. In a three-year iterative design study, we implemented a framework combining a cost-effective 1/5-scaled autonomous vehicle platform with team-based competitions. This framework was progressively improved through a mixed-methods analysis of data from 445 students across five competitions and two capstone design courses. The quantitative results showed statistically significant improvements in the students’ self-assessed skills with large effect sizes, demonstrating that the framework significantly boosted students’ technical abilities and motivation. The qualitative feedback confirmed the educational value of the platform’s realism and peer-based observations of the competitions. This article presents the complete educational framework, outlines the iterative design process and key design decisions, and discusses the lessons learned. It also provides a validated model and practical guidelines for educators seeking to incorporate effective, competition-based AD education into their curricula.