Verizon, Nissan, and the CCTA are working together on connected-vehicle technology V2X to improve road safety.
Verizon and Nissan worked together to develop and test technology that alerts drivers when pedestrians or other vehicles are spotted approaching from behind visual barriers.
To turn sensor data from automobiles and infrastructure into urgent notifications, the technology uses Verizon 5G Edge, 4G LTE, and a Nissan proprietary telematics test platform.
The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) will begin technological validation for its Automated Driving Systems Grant Program, which will include restricted deployment in specified public sites throughout Contra Costa County, California.
Verizon’s Research and Advanced Engineering team and Nissan North America’s Research and Advanced Engineering team have completed a research proof-of-concept demonstrating how sensor data from vehicles and surrounding infrastructure can be processed at the edge of Verizon’s wireless network and communicated back to vehicles in near real-time for urgent driver notifications.
The test successfully adapted that process, which is an example of cellular vehicle-to-everything communication (C-V2X), to settings where drivers could struggle to spot vulnerable pedestrians or oncoming traffic emerging from behind visual barriers. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) will begin technological validation for its Automated Driving Systems Grant Program, which will see the use case evaluated in restricted public contexts in Contra Costa County before being deployed live.
What is V2X?
V2X (vehicle-to-everything) refers to communication between a vehicle and any entity that could affect or be influenced by it. It is a vehicular communication system that includes V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure), V2N (vehicle-to-network), V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle), V2P (vehicle-to-pedestrian), V2D (vehicle-to-device), and V2G (vehicle-to-gearbox) (vehicle-to-grid).
Road safety, traffic efficiency, and energy savings are the primary drivers behind V2X. According to the National Highway Road Safety Administration in the United States, a V2V system would reduce traffic accidents by at least 13%, resulting in 439,000 fewer crashes every year.
Depending on the underlying technology, there are two forms of V2X communication technologies:
- WLAN-based and
- Cellular.
Also Read: UK’s first vehicle-to-everything road safety system goes live.
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Verizon, Nissan, and the CCTA are working together on connected-vehicle technology V2X to improve road safety.
“Communication between vehicles and the environment around them, or C-V2X, will be one of the most important transportation innovations of the connected and autonomous future of driving,” said TJ Fox, Senior Vice President of Industrial IoT and Automotive, Verizon Business. “This proof of concept shows that edge computing with Verizon’s cellular network can help take the resource-intensive compute burden off vehicles and public infrastructure — housing their software platforms and crunching their sensor data for them — and can communicate data outward to prompt potentially lifesaving safety alerts or autonomous driving features in the car, all essentially in real time.”
“Making breakthroughs in products and technologies is a core piece of Nissan’s business,” said Maarten Sierhuis, Ph.D., vice president, Nissan Technical Center North America. “The successful development and pilot of this research technology reinforces our commitment to helping keep drivers and passengers safe and the future of mobility.”
“CCTA is excited to be collaborating with Verizon and Nissan to test technology that addresses real transportation needs – delivering mobility choices to transportation-challenged and underserved communities – while preparing our county for the future of mobility,” said Timothy Haile, Executive Director for the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. “Taking a proactive approach to safety is a priority for CCTA, and the technology we’re testing together will contribute toward making connected and automated vehicles a safe option for future travel.”
The trials focused on putting a range of the vehicle- and infrastructure-based sensor setups to the test in order to develop a multi-viewpoint picture of potential safety concerns beyond the line of sight of the vehicle and driver. Sensor data from Nissan vehicles and infrastructure was processed at the edge of Verizon’s wireless network and communicated back to vehicles via the cellular network in near real-time, prompting Nissan’s Intelligent Shared World platform to initiate driver notifications, thanks to Verizon 5G Edge with AWS Wavelength.
This procedure alerted drivers to observe pedestrians approaching streets from behind other vehicles, as well as incoming automobiles masked by larger vehicles, as can happen when making a left turn with oncoming traffic. Nissan’s Silicon Valley-based Research and Advanced Engineering team conducted the trial.
The CCTA’s Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Grant Program aims to accelerate mobility programs for underserved communities. Upon Program validation of the Verizon and Nissan technology, it could then be deployed around busy intersections, retirement communities, or as part of the county’s Innovate 680 Program.
Automated Driving Systems (ADS) project:
The Automated Driving Systems (ADS) project is one of six that make up the Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s (CCTA) INNOVATE 680 program, which aims to alleviate corridor-wide congestion, travel delays, and operational problems.
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded CCTA a $8 million grant to conduct three ground-breaking pilot sub-projects that will test technology to advance real needs—delivering mobility options to transportation-challenged, underserved communities—while preparing for the future of mobility for all corridor residents. With CCTA’s partners at GoMentum Station, the project will also enhance standards for autonomous driving systems in the United States by gathering critical data on performance and safety measures.
PROJECT 1
Walnut Creek, CA
The Rossmoor First Mile/Last Mile pilot project is a shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) study that will provide basic commodities and services to a Walnut Creek senior community. These shuttles will travel at a leisurely pace (less than 25 miles per hour) and will be accompanied by an attendant. Greater accessibility to public transportation and independence for the elderly are expected benefits. The information acquired will be utilized to expand safety performance measures across the country.
PROJECT 2
Martinez, CA
The County Hospital Accessible Transportation Shuttle pilot project intends to provide wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle service on demand for persons who do not have dependable transportation to medical appointments and hospital services. With an operator on board, the AV shuttle would travel at a top speed of 50 mph. Fewer missed appointments, fewer emergency room visits, more hospitalizations, and hence improved health outcomes are expected.
PROJECT 3
Contra Costa County, CA
To prepare for the future of linked and automated automobiles, the Personal Mobility pilot project will install critical technologies along a two-mile stretch of I-680 (CAVs). This will allow a variety of autonomous vehicles to coexist safely on the road with traditional automobiles. The initiative is a first step in determining what kind of benefits AVs going up to 65 mph on major roadways may provide. Shared transportation is supposed to provide benefits such as fewer accidents, less traffic, and more efficiency.