Panasonic, Qualcomm and Ford, together with their other project partners, have completed the first real-world demonstration of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication technologies in Colorado.
Panasonic Corporation of North America, Ford and Qualcomm Technologies, together with their partner, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), have unveiled the first real-world application of C-V2X technology connecting the vehicle, the roadways, and a regional traffic management center (TMC) in Denver, and demonstrating a new level of data-driven situational awareness that will achieve a dramatic improvement of safety on the road.
The demonstration involved connected Ford vehicles operating on C-V2X-equipped roadways in the area around Panasonic’s CityNOW headquarters in Denver, with the trial overseen by CDOT’s regional TMC in the city.
Other partners involved in the C-V2X demonstration included: Kapsch TrafficCom, which provided roadside units (RSUs); Ficosa that supplied C-V2X onboard units (OBUs); and Savari, which contributed other wireless communication network technologies. The fleet of Ford utility vehicles was equipped with C-V2X devices using Ficosa’s CarCom platform to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) direct communications.
Panasonic’s connected vehicle data platform collected and disseminated the C-V2X data to provide roadway operators at CDOT’s TMC with improved situational awareness and the ability to send safety critical information directly to the test vehicles.
V2X technology represents a paradigm shift for transportation agencies by listening and receiving contextual data about traffic and roadway conditions from connected vehicles and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. The real-time actions and events consumed by the roadside sensors are transferred to the cloud-based Panasonic data platform, which can deliver geolocated, customized, just-in-time messages directly into vehicles.
The C-V2X system demonstrated in Denver is designed to be globally compatible with 5G and complement other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) sensors, such as cameras, radar and lidar. The C-V2X direct communication mode is designed to offer vehicles low latency communications for V2V, V2I, and Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) without the involvement of a cellular network, or cellular network subscription, by operating on designated and harmonized 5.9GHz ITS spectrum.
Recent field test results show a significant range, reliability and performance advantage of C-V2X direct communications, with more than twice the range and improved reliability compared to 802.11p radio technology.
“The state of Colorado has been focused on the rapid deployment of connected vehicle technology to advance safety and are encouraged by the progression of C-V2X,” said Michael P Lewis, CDOT’s executive director. “We’re ready to help advance vehicle safety and serve as a hub for advanced vehicle testing, and development, with the support of Ford and technology leaders like Qualcomm Technologies and Panasonic.”
Don Butler, executive director of Ford’s connected vehicle platform and products, commented, “C-V2X is core to our vision for the future of transportation and we believe strongly in its potential when integrated with Denver’s smart city initiatives. Initial field test results demonstrate that C-V2X is the clear choice for the global solution for V2X and the deployment of C-V2X in Colorado will further support this.”Â
