The world’s largest supplier of automotive safety systems, Autoliv Inc., has announced that its Veoneer electronics business subsidiary has participated in a successful demonstration of geofencing technology deployed in an urban environment in Stockholm, Sweden.
Geofencing refers to a geographic zone where the entry, speed and fuel use of connected vehicles can be controlled digitally. During the Stockholm demonstration, trucks, buses and cars showcased the geofencing technology, which is seen as an important step toward creating a connected transport system with digital infrastructure and shared interfaces.
In 2017, the Swedish government initiated a project to create safer, more climate-smart cities using geofencing technology. Led by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), the participants in the project include: the City of Gothenburg, the City of Stockholm, Veoneer, Ericsson, Scania, Volvo Cars and the Volvo Group.
Digitization of city infrastructure and vehicles is creating new mobility options, with the Swedish government keen to test the potential of connected vehicles to make transport more efficient, improve road safety, and reduce climate impact. Geofencing technologies can be used in conjunction with connected vehicles to create clean air zones or enforce speed limits and vehicle access in certain predetermined areas. Following the use of a hijacked truck in a terrorist attack along Drottninggatan in Stockholm city center in April 2017, the government is keen to see if geofenced connected vehicles could play a role in ensuring that cities are better equipped to deal with hostile vehicle attacks.
“Geofencing is a tangible step toward smart cities. Our current driver assistance systems complement the driver’s senses, saving lives when reducing the number of traffic accidents,” said Ola Boström, VP of research and patents at Veoneer. “As cars become autonomous, the technology in the vehicles will need to be complemented with geofencing infrastructure. This will make the traffic environment safe.”
Asa Tamsons, senior vice president and head of technology and emerging business at Ericsson, added, “Geofencing is a crucial part of intelligent transport systems (ITS), giving traffic authorities the power to make our cities safer and greener. The showcase by Veoneer and Ericsson demonstrates secure exchange of data between vehicles and digital traffic infrastructure within a geofenced traffic zone. With 5G, travel will become even safer and more efficient, with networks automatically prioritizing mission-critical communication between intelligent vehicles and infrastructure.”
