V2X connectivity provider Commsignia has announced a collaboration with vulnerable road user (VRU) safety experts Spoke to provide automotive grade cellular-V2X (C-V2X) software solutions for cyclists, motorcyclists and e-scooter riders.
As bicycle, motorcycle, scooter and other mobility device ridership grows; unfortunately, so are the safety concerns. According to NHTSA, 891 bicyclists were killed in traffic in 2020 in the USA, which is 5% up compared to 2019. Innovative cities and fleet operators are not just looking for better ways to understand people on the move, they are also focused on how to improve vulnerable road user’s safety.
Commsignia brings in V2X to do that: its broad portfolio includes V2X hardware equipment for all types of vehicles, integration of roadside sensors to provide non-connected users access to the benefits of the V2X ecosystem, all the way to managing V2X devices and collecting anonymized data. With data from V2X, cities and fleet operators can gain valuable insights to improve road safety and traffic efficiency.
The highly optimized V2X software stack and safety application suite designed by Commsignia perfectly fits light vehicles and provides secure direct communication between road users and the infrastructure. By integrating Commsignia’s V2X stack and safety application suite into a new hardware solution, Spoke plans to offer contextual awareness and V2X warning messages for bicyclists and other light mobility users. Low-latency direct communication between road users is essential for V2X safety applications.
“For the first time ever, vulnerable road users like bicyclists can be digitally seen by cars and they can see the vehicles around them,” says Jarrett Wendt, Spoke CEO. “This is possible because of Spoke’s partnership with Commsignia which is delivering game-changing, automotive-grade connectivity, and more specifically new and unique algorithms specific to VRUs that literally put them on the map.”
Spoke is working with a number of stakeholders, including Qualcomm Technologies, Amazon World Services (AWS) and vehicle, bicycle, scooter and motorcycle OEMs, for maximum scale, adoption and safety impact. The Spoke portfolio launches with OEM bicycle, motorcycle and scooter partners in 2022.
For more on Commsignia’s work connecting VRUs, don’t miss the latest episode of the TTi podcast
Images: AdobeStock
