Vehicle to everything technology (v2x technology) is paving the way for a future in which vehicles communicate with everything around them and road travel is safer and more convenient. Vehicles will be able to communicate to other vehicles, road infrastructure such as intersections and traffic signs, pedestrians, cyclists, and a range of services available via the cloud.
If you’re learning about this for the first time, you might wonder how car manufacturers intend to pull it off. Hint: They won’t do it alone.
How Vehicle to Everything Technology Will Work
Vehicle to Everything Communication
Every object that vehicles will be expected to interact with will be fitted with a communication device. This will include all road infrastructure, including traffic signs and intersections. It will also include mobile devices such as smartphones, which will enable vehicles to communicate with pedestrians.
Once all entities on roads are fitted with communication units, they’ll be connected to form a network. Messages about road safety as well as information that helps enhance the convenience of road travel will be sent over the network.
So, if two vehicles are approaching an intersection from different directions and are on a collision course, the smart intersection will alert both vehicles about the imminent collision.
And that brings us to one other thing that will be required to pull off complete communication and collaboration on roads.
Smart Infrastructure
Road infrastructure will need to be equipped with vision devices. I’m using the term vision devices to refer to not only RGB cameras but also lidar, radar, and infrared sensors. With such an array of sensors, a smart intersection will be able to adequately analyze surrounding activity.
The intersection will be made smart by equipping it with AI technology to enable processing at the edge. As a result, by collating and analyzing footage from different sensors, the intersection will be able to determine whether vehicles are on a collision course and alert them.
Cross-Industry Collaboration
For v2x technology to be effective, multiple stakeholders will have to be involved. To start with, all vehicle manufacturers will have to fit their cars with the necessary equipment. It would make no sense if some vehicles were able to communicate to everything and some weren’t. The effectiveness of the network is contingent on every vehicle being connected to it.
In addition, governments would have to be onboard and equip all infrastructure with relevant communication devices. The vehicles on a road may be properly equipped, but if an intersection on the road isn’t upgraded, the effectiveness of the whole system won’t be as advertised.
Additionally, the citizenry of different places will have to be invested in the success of the venture. If a citizen decides to ride a bike that isn’t fitted with a communication device, approaching vehicles won’t get vulnerable road user alerts.
There can be no half measures if this future is to be realized.
Interesting V2x Use Cases
Platooning
This is where vehicles moving in the same direction on a highway work together. Typically, the vehicles form a queue. With vehicle-to-everything communication a reality, the driver at the front of the queue does most of the work. He or she guides the rest of the vehicles. Since the vehicles can communicate, they follow the lead of the first vehicle.
This would especially be useful for trucks.
The advantages of platooning include reduced fuel consumption thanks to aerodynamic formation. In addition, the drivers of the vehicles “being led” can rest, which would go a long way in reducing fatigue among truck drivers and improving road safety.
Prevention of Racecar Accidents
It is expected that vehicle-to-everything communication will reduce the accidents on racetracks. Some communication protocols already in use for this technology have low latency which could come in handy in the high-speed environment of a racecourse.
With such technology in use, drivers can be alerted about another driver who has stopped in a dangerous position or whose vehicle has malfunctioned.
Forward Collision Warning
Also called a precrash system, a forward collision warning system is used in cars to prevent crashes or mitigate the damage as a result of a crash. It works by using sensors to determine the distance between the two vehicles, their relative speed, and the probability that they will crash.
It then provides an alert and in some cases implements automatic breaking. It’s already being used in some cars. However, vehicle-to-everything communication could make it even more efficient.
Roadworks Warning
Some protocols in the proposed vehicle-to-everything communication architecture have a range of over 1km. Others, based on cellular networks, have a virtually unlimited range in areas with good cellular coverage.
With these ranges, a vehicle can receive an alert about upcoming roadworks in time to choose alternative routes or at least approach with caution to reduce the probability of accidents.
Emergency Vehicle Approaching
It will be much easier for emergency vehicles to weave through traffic because every road user will be aware of them. Vehicles can move out of the way in a manner that allows emergency vehicles to speed past.
