Ford has announced that all of its new cars from 2022 will be able to talk and listen to each other and items in the surrounding world.
The auto giant is fully adopting the C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) communications technology, which will power next-generation autonomous and semi-autonomous cars.
The tech, which is underpinned by Qualcomm’s 9150 chipset, is also being demonstrated by Ducati and Audi at the CES 2019 tech show currently ongoing in Las Vegas.
While the tech will be bolstered by the emerging 5G network, the new C-V2X offers peer-to-peer communications with cars, meaning the data won’t need to travel via the cellular tower initially.
Related: CES 2019 Live
In a blog post on Monday, Ford said the tech will make navigating four way stops easier, with vehicles communicating to each other which has the right of way.
Meanwhile, a car involved in an accident can warn those approaching of potential danger. Pedestrians with mobile phones could also send a signal to cars, ensuring their presence is known even when they’re outside of normal line of sight. Ford also says the tech will allow vehicles to communicate with stop lights and road signs.
The post reads: “With C-V2X, a traffic light can send signals alerting drivers about when it will turn green or red, or whether a driver is at risk of running a red light.
“Road signs could provide advance warning of recent accidents or provide more context regarding road construction, giving drivers the opportunity to reroute or more safely move through work zones. Further out, cities could even use this technology to enable smart vehicles to “talk” to smart traffic management systems to create better flowing transportation systems.”
Ford says all of its self-driving vehicles will be able to operate without C-V2X, the tech will compliment camera, LiDAR and radar sensors on board the cars.
“Imagine a person suddenly steps into the street from out of view and your vehicle stops because it was alerted by that person’s smartphone. This is just one example of how C-V2X can connect smart vehicles to a smart world,” said Don Butler, executive director, Ford Connected Vehicle Platform and Product. “We invite other automakers, governments and tech companies to join the significant momentum building for a C-V2X ecosystem.”
Can C-V2X be the key to unlocking the potential of the self-driving vehicles? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
