Honda, in partnership with the City of Marysville in Ohio, has demonstrated its smart intersection technology for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications in one of the first deployments of this type of system in a real-world setting.
Developed by the Japanese auto maker’s research division in the USA, Honda R&D Americas In., in a partnership with the City of Marysville, the new V2X system has been demonstrated as part of the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor project.
The pilot program seeks to address the limitations of onboard vehicle sensors in addressing crashes at roadway intersections, which currently account for roughly 40% of all collisions and 20% of the nearly 35,000 traffic-related deaths that occur in the USA each year.
The Smart Intersection technology, using Honda’s proprietary object recognition software in conjunction with intersection-mounted cameras and V2X communications, enables cars to virtually see through and around buildings and walls in nearly all weather conditions, in order to help identify and alert drivers to otherwise hidden hazards.
Four cameras mounted above the traffic lights at each corner of the intersection capture bird’s-eye view video of surrounding vehicles and pedestrian traffic out to a 300ft (91m) range. Honda’s proprietary image processing software then creates a 360° image of the intersection that classifies vehicles and other moving objects, such as pedestrians, motorcycles and emergency vehicles, and broadcasts pertinent information to surrounding vehicles via a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) signal.
Each connected vehicle’s onboard computer decodes the information and, when necessary, provides both visible and audible alerts to the driver, intelligently supporting them to take corrective action to avoid a potential collision. Honda has committed to using 200 connected vehicles for evaluation in the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor and Smart Columbus projects.
“We believe that V2X technology is an essential component of a smarter and safer transportation ecosystem and can play a role in our dream for a zero-collision society,” said Ted Klaus, vice president of strategic research at Honda R&D Americas.
“By partnering with the City of Marysville and the State of Ohio, we believe this research will give us a better understanding of how V2X technologies can be further advanced and most effectively deployed for the benefit of all road users.”
Ohio’s Governor, John R Kasich, commented, “Research underway in Marysville and along the US 33 Smart Mobility Corridor holds great promise in advancing world-changing transportation technologies and is the 21st century version of Huffman Prairie, where the Wright Brothers made their early aviation discoveries.
“With the help of strong public- and private-sector partners, and our unmatched Transportation Research Center, Ohio is aggressively working to maintain its leadership role for developing vehicles and smart technologies of the future.”
Marysville Mayor J R Rausch, noted, “The city is appreciative of our rich history with Honda of America and we are committed to our partnership with them to support their development and testing of autonomous and connected vehicles. We are proud they chose Marysville to deploy this Smart Intersection technology here.”
