ADAS: NEW USE CASES 1 Safer school buses The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has yet to publish final rules governing cellular V2X (C-V2X) technology, but the transition away from wireless LAN-based DSRC (dedicated short-range communication) is already underway. Part of the 5.9GHz band was allocated in 2019, to avoid overcrowding from other wireless devices, and the first 25 waivers enabling stakeholders to launch nationwide solutions were granted last year. Audi of America was one of the recipients, having advocated the technology since 2019. In addition to quality of service from the reserved spectrum, C-V2X has several advantages over DSRC, enabling both long-range (via the cellular network) and short-range (direct, between devices) communication. The company’s director of government affairs, Brad Stertz, believes the technology is well suited to improving traffic efficiency and the safety of vulnerable road users. He explains, “What’s compelling about C-V2X is that it combines the benefits of informing drivers and vehicle systems at longer distance – with safety-enhancing informational updates that can help traffic actors avoid potentially dangerous situations – and safety-critical communications that can help avoid collisions or minimize impact, especially with vehicles or vulnerable road users that aren’t in the driver’s line-of-sight.” “THERE ARE MANY AREAS WHERE, BY INTRODUCING AUTOMATION… THE NEW USER EXPERIENCE IS TRANSFORMATIONAL” Left and below: Audi and Navistar use C-V2X between cars and buses to boost safety Stefan Solyom, CTO, Pebble Demonstration projects are already underway, and Audi has worked with partners testing systems that exchange warnings between roadworks, cyclists and drivers. However, the company sees an important application in school zones, where Department of Transportation statistics show around 100 people are killed by vehicle collisions each year. Pilot studies began in 2021, testing connected signs and vehicles with partners Qualcomm Technologies, Commsignia and school bus manufacturer Blue Bird, and demonstrating several key benefits. Stertz continues, “This not only gave C-V2X connected cars alerts that a school bus was stopping nearby, but also provided traffic signal prioritization to the buses so their routes were more efficient with fewer stops. This saved the school district 12-14% in fuel costs and also permitted underprivileged children who qualified for a free hot breakfast to get to school on time instead of being stuck in traffic.” Testing continued at the end of 2023, this time working with Volkswagen Group-owned Navistar – the country’s largest school bus manufacturer – and infrastructure solution developer Applied Information. The partners co-developed a C-V2X system that enabled vehicles to directly share their location, velocity and direction 10 times per second at a distance of up to 366m with low latency, warning car drivers to slow down and bus drivers to keep the doors shut if a vehicle was approaching too quickly. Stertz believes it’s an important early application. “We believe there are compelling cases to retrofit public fleets – school buses, transit and emergency vehicles [with C-V2X],” he states. “It’s different for passenger cars and commercial trucks because we will want the C-V2X communications to integrate with advanced driver assistance systems, human-machine interface alerts and next-generation electronics architectures to better futureproof the opportunity.” The self-propelled Pebble Flow features automated hitching and remote maneuvering capabilities Detecting impaired drivers Drink and drug driving are among the biggest causes of road accidents globally, accounting for 27% of all road injuries according to the World Health Organization. Regulators recognize the importance of technology in mitigating the issue. In December 2023, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued an advanced notice of proposed rule-making that could be a first step toward mandatory impairment detection in new vehicles once the technology matures. This could offer a new application for already-commercialized hardware. 2 14 ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International April 2024