The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) carried out a live demo of cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in Berlin, the entity said in a release.
During the demo, 5GAA members including BMW Group, Daimler, Deutsche Telekom, Fraunhofer Institutes FOKUS and ESK, Ford, Huawei, Jaguar Land Rover, Nokia, Qualcomm and Vodafone, demonstrated C-V2X vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-network (V2N) applications.
“The solutions on show are ready to be deployed today and have huge industry momentum based on the forthcoming 5G capabilities. C-V2X technology is a key foundation for a safe and sound driving environment for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists , cars and commercial heavy trucks. Global field testing is already in its very final stages and the first solutions are now commercially available from multiple suppliers,” said Maxime Flament, CTO at 5GAA.
Using both direct short-range communications and mobile networks offers complementary capabilities which involve tele-operated driving and the provision of emergency traffic information between vehicles using multi-access edge computing (MEC) functionality. 5GAA also said that the demos used technology that is ready to be deployed.
5GAA C-V2X use cases showcased in Berlin included:
1. A. Traffic Management Solutions: Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) and Red-Light Violation Warning (RLVW) to Vehicle
The communication between the traffic signal and vehicle is important to improve traffic flow, thus increasing road safety by preventing accidents. During the demo drive, a BMW Group vehicle equipped with a Qualcomm onboard unit running the Savari ITS software stack and the V2X use cases, communicated with a SWARCO traffic signal, showing C-V2X readiness across multiple vendors.
This use case enables the driver to monitor the upcoming traffic light, 5GAA said. The center display of the vehicle shows the current signal phase and how long it will remain. In the Red Light Violation Warning (RLVW) use case, the application in the vehicle uses its speed and acceleration profile, along with the signal timing and geometry information from the traffic signal. If the driver is likely to run a red light, he/she receives a warning in the vehicle.
B. Traffic Management Solutions: Emergency Electronic Brake light (EEBL)/ Roadworks warning (RWW)
Fraunhofer FOKUS, supported by Daimler, demonstrated an Emergency Electronic Brake Light Warning: Two vehicles equipped with Huawei onboard units were accelerating, and the car ahead braked hard. The second car instantly received a warning, demonstrating the advantage of the low-latency C-V2X communication. Meanwhile, a Huawei roadside unit communicated ongoing roadwork via C-V2X to the vehicle.
2. Real Time Emergency Alerts: Vehicle-to-Network and Network-to-Vehicle services
Vodafone Germany and Ford showed connected vehicle technology (V2X) that could alert drivers to an accident ahead, moments after it has happened (via eCall Plus). The system provided early warning that emergency vehicles were approaching – and which side of the road other vehicles should move towards to avoid being an obstruction.
3. Live data capture and transmission: Expanded network/Vehicle-to-Network capacities via MEC
Continental, Deutsche Telekom, Fraunhofer ESK and Nokia demonstrated how information is delivered to vehicles almost real-time via a mobile network, utilizing Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) technology. All data was processed at the edge of the mobile network to reduce latency. As a result, event-related data such as emergency warnings as well as high-definition map data ware transmitted in milliseconds, improving driving safety on the path to fully automated driving.
4. Combined Network and Direct solution enables the pinnacle of C-V2X technology
Vodafone Group, Huawei and Jaguar Land Rover demonstrated safety critical use cases by combining different communication modes (short direct via PC5 and longer range network-based via Uu). The provision of a two-stage warning enabled vehicles to be made aware of other vehicles approaching the same junction much earlier and allowing action to taken sooner to avoid a crash.
