Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication enhances road safety by preventing accidents through the continuous exchange of information directly between nearby vehicles. These vehicles periodically transmit their location, movement, and other parameters, making this data openly accessible over the air. But does this mean the OEM loses control over the data?

V2X signals can travel over 1 km in open-road conditions, while in urban areas, the range is typically reduced to a few hundred meters. A modified V2X unit can intercept these signals and track vehicle movements, but only within its communication range. However, the captured data remains anonymous. It cannot be linked to a specific individual, vehicle make, color, or manufacturer. In fact, a surveillance camera provides much richer and more relevant information than a V2X sniffer. Additionally, deploying V2X sniffers on a large scale is not economically viable. While the OEM does lose control over this data, its limited scope and lack of identifiable details make it relatively low in value.

The situation changes significantly with V2N2X, where V2X data is transmitted through the network between clouds. In this model, an interconnecting cloud facilitates data exchange between different OEMs’ cloud systems, introducing new vulnerabilities.

Unlike direct V2X data, which is confined to a specific geographic area, V2N2X data can be aggregated and exploited on a much larger scale, either intentionally or as a result of a security breach. For example, a data provider’s cloud, connected to the interconnecting cloud, could harvest this information. While individual vehicle identities may be masked with randomized IDs, the OEM’s identity remains exposed, as the interconnecting cloud must route data to specific vehicles belonging to a given OEM.

In this scenario, the OEM loses control over highly valuable data. It can reveal sensitive details such as vehicle owners’ addresses, daily routes, shopping preferences, hospital visits, and more. This data enables deep insights, including vehicle usage trends in specific neighborhoods. Given its commercial and privacy implications, OEMs cannot afford to allow unrestricted access to this information.

Losing control over such data can be perceived as a large-scale privacy violation, where the OEM fails to protect its customers’ information. The critical issue is that even the most robust security measures within an OEM’s cloud become ineffective once the data enters the interconnecting cloud, where it can be harvested without the OEM’s oversight.

As a result, it is unlikely that OEMs will willingly upload customer vehicle data to a shared interconnect cloud. This limitation prevents V2N2X from fulfilling its intended role in cooperative safety. The essence of cooperative safety relies on data sharing among different vehicles, which cannot be achieved if OEMs refuse to participate. Consequently, V2N2X cannot be considered a true Cooperative Intelligent Transport System (C-ITS). At best, it functions as a Network ITS (N-ITS), capable of broadcasting general hazard warnings over the network but lacking the specificity needed for true cooperative vehicle-to-vehicle safety.

The post V2X Data Control first appeared on Autotalks.

One doesn’t need to have a driving phobia to experience stress behind the wheel. A 2023 survey[1] on the biggest fears of UK drivers revealed a wide range of concerns. Interestingly, V2X technology has the potential to alleviate many of these stress factors.

The top fear among drivers is reckless behavior from others. While V2X (Vehicle to Everything Communication) cannot change driving habits, it can provide warnings about reckless drivers nearby. It can detect various risk factors, such as vehicles rapidly approaching from behind, red-light runners, or cars entering intersections at excessive speed. By tracking the anonymous identities of vehicles, V2X can determine if the vehicle approaching from behind has previously tailgated others. Swerving vehicles in the vicinity can also be detected and flagged. With these real-time alerts, drivers gain valuable time to react and avoid reckless drivers, significantly reducing stress on the road.

Another indirect benefit of V2X is its ability to offer early alerts about road anomalies ahead, such as a blocked lane. Additionally, V2X enhances mobility and eases traffic congestion by optimizing traffic flow on highways and vehicle arrivals at traffic lights. This, in turn, helps reduce driver frustration, aggression, and reckless behavior, which is the root cause of this fear.

The second biggest fear is bad weather. This is where V2X technology excels, as it functions reliably in all conditions, snow, rain, and fog, without depending on the visibility of road users. Unlike other sensors that struggle in such conditions, V2X further extends the detection range, giving drivers more time to react and initiate braking, helping to compensate for the increased stopping distance.

The third biggest fear is cyclists driving recklessly. Traditional vehicle sensors often struggle to detect them, especially when they are hidden behind parked or moving vehicles. V2X overcomes this limitation by reliably detecting cyclists even when they seem to appear out of nowhere.

V2X can’t assist much with the fourth biggest fear: driving in unfamiliar areas. However, it can ease a major stress factor: finding available parking. With the Cooperative Parking feature, V2X-equipped vehicles share real-time information about open parking spots, whether on the street or in a parking lot. This helps drivers find parking more efficiently, reducing feeling stressed from circling around and slowing down traffic.

The fifth biggest fear is being involved in an accident. V2X enhances vehicle safety as the only sensor capable of detecting hidden risks beyond the range of any other sensor. It helps prevent all types of collisions, side, rear-end, and head-on, across all road users, including trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and even pedestrians. V2X has the potential to prevent over a third of fatalities in multi-vehicle crashes while also reducing the severity of those that do occur.

The sixth biggest fear is driving alongside a lorry, a concern that is well-founded, as truck collisions account for a quarter of driver fatalities in multi-vehicle crashes. V2X can help eliminate this risk. Once all trucks are equipped with V2X, drivers will always be aware of nearby vehicles, reducing blind spot-related accidents as well as all other truck-related collisions. See also: V2X for Trucks

In summary, V2X has the potential to ease stress in five of the six most anxiety-inducing driving situations and provide some assistance in the remaining one. Since high-intensity driver stress contributes to driving errors and aggressiveness, reducing it also has a positive impact on overall traffic safety.

[1] https://www.jtape.com/news/survey-uk-drivers-biggest-fears/

The post V2X for Lower-Stress Driving first appeared on Autotalks.

With the existence of multiple V2X standards derived from both WiFi (DSRC) and cellular (LTE-V2X), keeping track of their progress can be challenging. The latest C-V2X generation, 5G-V2X, aims to harmonize the V2X operation in Europe, while promising new features. But what is the practical value of these new features?

Well, it depends. For instance, a 5G-V2X profile can operate using one of 3 different subcarrier spacing configurations in order to further improve radio performance at radical differential speeds. Similarly, its support for higher modulation constellation (QAM256 versus QAM64) enables two slow-moving nearby road users to exchange a large amount of data in a short time.

One feature that truly stands out and offers significant value is Groupcast. As its name suggests, it facilitates many-to-many connectivity. This can be connection-oriented, involving specific group members, or connectionless, where group members dynamically join and leave based on proximity.

Groupcast is critical for advanced V2X use cases, particularly those involving movement coordination, which are classified as Day 3 scenarios. A common misconception is that movement coordination can only be applied once automated vehicles dominate the roads. However, L2+ human-operated vehicles with advanced driving capabilities can already benefit.

Groupcast enables the first killer app: Lane Change Assist Modern vehicles equipped with Automatic Cruise Control (ACC) can execute lane changes when the driver activates the turn signal. However, these systems often struggle with tight gaps or complex merging scenarios. By leveraging Groupcast, vehicles can negotiate planned lane merges with relevant vehicles in the target lane, ensuring that sufficient space is left or adjustments are made, such as slowing down. This enables safer, more efficient lane changes, enhances traffic flow, and improves driver comfort.

To enhance safety, a visual indicator could be integrated into the sideview mirror, positioned next to the blind spot detection alert. This would notify the driver that their vehicle has coordinated with the vehicle in the adjacent lane and is ready to initiate a lane change without requiring manual intervention. It would also signal to drivers in the target lane that a vehicle is about to merge in front of them.

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has already conducted a pre-standardization study of Cooperative Merging, proposing an implementation framework. A stable draft is available, and while it may take a few years to develop production-grade interoperable systems, this timeline aligns with the broader 5G-V2X deployment schedule.

The second killer app is enhanced reliability for safety. V2X messages are not acknowledged, which is usually not an issue since nearby vehicles, the intended recipients, are likely to receive the message even if a more distant vehicle transmits at the same time.

In most situations, a vehicle isn’t in immediate danger, so a missed message has negligible impact. However, in high-risk scenarios, such as a vehicle making an emergency stop, running a red light, or a bicycle crossing an intersection, it becomes critical that the at-risk vehicle’s transmissions are reliably received. This ensures nearby drivers can take appropriate actions to safeguard both themselves and the vehicles in proximity.

This protection is facilitated by Groupcast. Group members, identified based on their proximity to the at-risk vehicle or bicycle, signal any reception failures, prompting retransmissions until the message is successfully received. Once the high-risk scenario is resolved, the road user switches back to broadcast communication to avoid overloading the network.

In summary, 5G-V2X brings several important enhancements, but the key new feature is Groupcast. OEMs are keen to enhance Adaptive Cruise Control’s functionality, and Connected Lane Change Assist significantly improves both driver safety and the overall experience. Additionally, it ensures that V2X communication reliability is heightened where it matters most: high-risk scenarios.

The post 5G-V2X (Anti-)Killer Apps: Lane Change Assist and Enhanced Safety first appeared on Autotalks.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology connects all road users to enhance road safety and improve traffic efficiency through direct communication. Network-based communication, or vehicle-to-network-to-everything (V2N2X), aims to support some V2X use cases by transmitting data through the cellular network to multiple cloud servers.

Examining the ethical aspects of both V2X and V2N2X provides new insights into their respective characteristics.

Privacy

Ethical implementation of these technologies necessitates strong measures to anonymize data and prevent unauthorized access, ensuring that data is solely used for safety and efficiency and not for surveillance or commercial purposes without consent.

V2X is designed with these requirements in mind, using random and frequently changing identifiers for road users. Data is not stored and cannot be accessed from the internet. In contrast, V2N2X has inherent privacy challenges, as it involves linking personal identities and exchanging data through multiple cloud servers.

Cybersecurity

Vehicular communication must protect against cyberattacks that could lead to malicious vehicle control, traffic disruptions, or accidents. V2X incorporates robust cybersecurity measures, but proving security is essential. Every V2X device should comply with stringent global certification standards, such as the Common Criteria, which ensure rigorous testing against cyber threats and adherence to secure development protocols.

V2N2X, however, lacks defined certification schemes, largely due to the impracticality of certifying its complex design and, thus, the inability to prove the security.

安全

Vehicular safety systems need to be highly reliable to prevent malfunctions that could lead to accidents. Initially, V2X operations are limited to issuing warnings. By the end of the decade, V2X is expected to be capable of applying brakes automatically, improving safety as the system learns from other sensors.

V2X systems must undergo stringent safety certification, ISO 26262, to minimize failure rates and ensure early detection of potential issues. V2N2X, lacking the ability to obtain ISO 26262 certification, will not be authorized for automatic braking, thus limiting its full potential compared to V2X. 

Equity

The technology should be affordable for everyone. The total cost of technology includes both initial equipment costs and ongoing expenses. V2X data transmission is free, allowing vehicles to benefit from it throughout their lifespan.

Vehicles cannot use drivers’ cellular phones for safety applications due to technical and liability concerns, so V2N2X would require subsidizing the vehicle’s cellular communication. Currently, car manufacturers cover connectivity costs for new vehicles, but there is no sustainable business model for maintaining vehicle connectivity throughout its entire life. Equity considerations require that older vehicles should support safety technology, but V2N2X cannot guarantee this.

Access

The technology should be universally accessible, regardless of the road user’s location. People in rural areas deserve the same safety standards as those in urban areas. V2X operates consistently, anywhere, and at any time. However, V2N2X relies on mobile network deployment, and unfortunately, coverage in rural areas is often limited, resulting in unequal access to safety features.

Regulatory frameworks

A clear and comprehensive regulatory framework should govern the development, deployment and use of V2X technology. Established standards facilitate a fair market and foster a diverse ecosystem of suppliers. Car manufacturers cannot initiate a widespread deployment without a long-term, reliable framework.

V2X standards are mature after a decade of development, with multiple suppliers demonstrating interoperability at industry events. Certification programs are in place, and regulatory frameworks are well-established. In contrast, V2N2X is still in its early stages, and these standards and frameworks are not yet developed.

In conclusion, evaluating these ethical aspects helps align the technologies with societal values, maximizing benefits while minimizing potential risks and harms. V2X meets ethical requirements effectively, whereas V2N2X falls short in key areas.

The post Navigating the Ethical Dilemmas of Vehicular Communication for Transportation Safety first appeared on Autotalks.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication is a vehicular sensor that collects data from nearby road users by exchanging wireless information to prevent accidents that no other sensor can detect, specifically risks from hidden road users located around the corner or behind another vehicle. V2X is designed for real-time safety by ensuring the integrity of the wireless connectivity, the authenticity of the messages and the accuracy and freshness of the information.

The V2X system is illustrated with the relevant elements in the vehicle architecture. Although there are slight variations, the core concept of a V2X system remains the same for all road users, including trucks, cars, motorcycles and eBikes.

The V2X system consists of three primary subsystems: wireless, security and processing. These subsystems interact with four key systems within the vehicle: ADAS, which receives data on detected road users from V2X; the head unit, which receives warnings from V2X; vehicle data, which is transmitted via V2X; and positioning.

Wireless subsystem

Many people consider the wireless subsystem to be the entirety of the V2X system, but this is a limited perspective. The wireless subsystem converts signals from the antennas into data. Due to the popularity of full glass roofs, two 5.9-GHz V2X antennas, typically placed at the front and rear of the roof, are required to ensure consistent, 360° wireless coverage. These antennas are connected to an RF front-end module (FEM). In cases where the cable between the antenna and FEM exceeds 4 meters, an additional FEM is needed at the antenna to compensate for cable attenuation. The FEM is a monolithic device that includes a power amplifier for amplifying the transmitted signal and a low-noise amplifier for amplifying the received signal.

The FEM is connected to the RF transceiver, which down-converts the received signal to a baseband signal and up-converts the transmitted signal by adding a 5.9-GHz carrier. The RF transceiver has two independent paths, one for each antenna. The modem controls the gain and functionality (transmit or receive) of both the FEM and the RF transceiver.

The modem receives the baseband signals from both antennas and demodulates the incoming bits. For optimal receiver performance, the signals from the two antennas need to be combined. The receiver tracks the wireless channel to compensate for the rapid movements of the transmitting and receiving vehicles, as well as reflections from metal objects between them (i.e., multipath). The quality of this equalization determines the practical communication range. High-quality implementations can consistently achieve ranges exceeding 1 km on highways and 400 meters at obstructed urban intersections in real-world measurements.

The modem must support all V2X wireless technologies. DSRC (IEEE802.11p) is based on Wi-Fi and is deployed in European road infrastructure and Volkswagen vehicles, continuing to be used as a legacy system. LTE-V2X (3GPP Rel. 14/15) is used in the U.S. and China. The latest technology, 5G-V2X (3GPP Rel. 16/17), is aimed at enabling new services in Europe. Unfortunately, these technologies are neither backward-compatible nor capable of coexisting with each other, necessitating a full implementation of all. Integrating all technologies into a single chip complicates the design but enhances system performance and cost efficiency. This integration is particularly beneficial when multiple technologies need to operate concurrently, as planned in Europe for DSRC and 5G-V2X.

Security subsystem

The security subsystem consists of the security stack within the processing system along with dedicated hardware components. The hardware-secure module (HSM) stores the private keys used to sign messages. Protecting the HSM is crucial, as the integrity of these keys underpins the trustworthiness of the messages. The signature algorithm used in Europe and the U.S. is based on the elliptic-curve digital-signature algorithm, whereas China employs local algorithms. Additionally, security certification is region-specific, necessitating the HSM to pass three certifications: the Federal Information Processing Standard in the U.S., Common Criteria in Europe and the Office of State Commercial Cryptography Administration in China. Another key hardware component in the security subsystem is the verification engine. Because verifying signatures is computationally intensive and thousands of messages need to be verified per second, a dedicated hardware engine is necessary. For enhanced protection of information exchange, it is preferable to integrate the security subsystem with the processing subsystem.

Processing subsystem

The processing subsystem can operate on a dedicated CPU for maximum isolation and security or share a CPU with other functions. The more vehicle safety decisions rely on V2X, the greater the need for isolation, particularly from the telematics processor, which also communicates with the cloud and is exposed to more attack vectors. The V2X stack is responsible for composing transmitted messages and decomposing received ones. The format of these messages varies by region, requiring interoperability tests for each specific region.

The transmitted message embeds the latest positioning information from the positioning system and relevant vehicle data, such as speed, heading and acceleration. Accurate positioning is crucial for reliable warnings, as it reduces the probability of false warnings and missed true warnings. Therefore, the most accurate positioning technology should be used, such as an L1/L5 dual-band GNSS receiver, augmented by visual cues or other algorithms. The vehicle data is obtained from the vehicle bus.

V2X applications are responsible for issuing safety warnings related to infrastructure information, such as road work ahead or traffic light timing, as well as warnings about other road users, such as a bicycle crossing an intersection or a vehicle stopped in the lane. Currently, a single CPU handles both the V2X stack and applications, with warnings forwarded to the head unit. In the future, ADAS will process V2X data like any other vehicle sensor data, receiving information about road users from the V2X stack and fusing it with detected objects from other vehicle sensors.

System variation

The partitioning of V2X subsystems can differ across various system designs. For instance, a system designed for a specific region with a single radio may differ from a global system that integrates multiple radios. Another example is a system intended to support ADAS, where V2X would be separated from other non-safety elements, including processing. System integration and testing efforts, as well as risk considerations, can also influence the partitioning. Therefore, maximum flexibility is required to meet diverse system and regional demands.

The post The Essentials of a V2X System first appeared on Autotalks.

Read the full PR on Yunex Traffic’s website

The post Yunex Traffic and Autotalks Announce Enhanced Privacy and Security Capabilities in V2X Roadside Units first appeared on Autotalks.

According to the 2024 US Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study by J.D. Power, vehicle owners are only interested in features that solve real problems. Features like hands-on driver assistance and passenger display screens scored low in usefulness compared to those that address specific concerns, such as visual blind spots when backing up. [1] You can almost hear an uncle ranting: “I don’t need any help driving! I can see the road risks just fine with my own eyes”.

While V2X wasn’t included in the study as it is currently not deployed in the US, the findings offer insights into the future acceptance of V2X. V2X (and DSRC) technology fits the category of features that solve a genuine problem. Not just one, but multiple problems are solved by (and only with) V2X.

EuroNCAP began grading Local Hazard Warnings in 2023, defining nine key warnings. A traffic jam warning, for instance, alerts drivers when approaching the end of a jam, providing early warnings for avoiding hard braking. Other hazards, like slippery roads, can’t be mitigated without V2X, highlighting the critical role of V2X in solving real driver safety problems.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) V2X deployment plan aims to equip 25% of signalized intersections with V2X by 2028 and 50% by 2031.[2] V2X infrastructure can prevent accidents by warning drivers about red-light runners, an issue that causes over 1,000 fatalities annually in the US. While drivers don’t like to think about this whenever crossing an intersection, the problem can’t get more real than that. Smart intersections, equipped with sensors to detect all road users, including Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), will further enhance safety, by alerting about any hidden road user that might pop up in the driver’s path, using alerts such as left turn warning.

As V2X becomes widespread, it will provide drivers with crucial information about unseen hazards. Even without smart intersection technology, V2X will allow drivers to detect other vehicles, motorcyclists, or cyclists near intersections, offering a new level of awareness. Just as drivers value backup cameras for providing visibility that would otherwise be impossible, they will appreciate V2X technology for revealing hidden information around corners that would otherwise remain undetected.

Unlike many safety features, which OEMs only include when mandated due to low perceived value, V2X is different. Customers will recognize its unique benefits, and OEMs can expect a positive return on investment as more drivers experience its advantages. The cost-effectiveness of a V2X solution further supports this. It all suggests that OEMs should adopt V2X technology even before mandates are in place. It’s a true win-win situation.

[1] https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-tech-experience-index-txi-study

[2] https://www.its.dot.gov/research_areas/emerging_tech/pdf/Accelerate_V2X_Deployment_final.pdf

The post Vehicle Owners Would Love to Get V2X first appeared on Autotalks.

According to NHTSA, distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,308 people in the US in 2022[1]. In addition, 421,000 injuries were recorded. Distracted driving includes any activity that diverts attention from driving, such as texting (which is the most prolonged distraction), eating and drinking, talking to passengers, or adjusting vehicle controls.

Driving distractions can be detected by the Driver Monitoring System (DMS), which began receiving 2 Safety Assist points in EuroNCAP grading in 2023[2]. This incentivizes the adoption of DMS in new vehicle models.

Driver distraction slows reaction time by up to 46% when driving while using a phone[3]. A DMS can alert Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to driver distraction, allowing for adjustments in operation to accommodate a longer reaction time. For instance, if a driver needs 2.5 seconds to react to a risk, a distracted driver might need 4 seconds, requiring an earlier warning.

However, early warnings are less reliable due to uncertainties in vehicle movement and potential driver actions. This is where Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication excels by enhancing warning reliability through:

• Extended detection range: V2X can detect and analyze risks from hundreds of meters away, providing precise road user parameters without the need for complex perception algorithms. In contrast, the reliable operation range of existing vehicular sensors is limited to tens of meters.
• Accurate data: V2X offers detailed kinematics data, including acceleration, heading, and yaw rate (road user’s angular velocity), enabling more confident calculations of future road user locations. These parameters are not obtainable with current vehicular sensors. For two-wheelers, even basic speed and heading measurements are imprecise with existing sensors, highlighting the significant advantage of V2X’s accurate data.
• Detection of obstructed road users: V2X can identify hidden road users, providing early warnings for potential risks, such as those emerging from obstructed intersections, before becoming visible to the existing vehicular sensors.

The necessity for a distracted driver to regain control of the vehicle parallels the requirements for automated driving disengagement. Thus, early indications are crucial, and V2X can aid in detecting complex disengagement scenarios in advance.

Despite efforts in education and enforcement, the rate of fatalities due to driver distraction has not decreased over the past decade. While DMS detection can offer some improvement, some drivers will inevitably remain distracted. For these drivers, V2X can deliver earlier and more reliable warnings, helping them to refocus on potential hazards and protect both themselves and others.

See also: Safe Micromobility, v2x Soc Integration

[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

[2] https://cdn.euroncap.com/media/70315/euro-ncap-assessment-protocol-sa-safe-driving-v101.pdf

[3] agilerates.com/advice/auto/texting-and-driving-statistics/   

The post How can V2X help with distracted driving? first appeared on Autotalks.

The arrival of our 3rd generation V2X technology presented a couple of ‘firsts’: The first 5G-V2X chipset, and the first integration of a V2X stack and applications. These called for a new high quality testing tool to allow customers to test this cutting-edge technology and realize its opportunities. This led us to develop a new Android tablet application tailored to our new SECTON3 and TEKTON3 chips, for operating our 3rd generation Field Test Kit (FTK). This blog post will take you through our journey, revealing the vision, process, challenges encountered, and valuable insights gained along the way.

Initial Vision and Audience:

The Android tablet application’s primary purpose is to empower customers working with our advanced V2X chip to easily benchmark the radio and different applications. The user-friendly interface simplifies the chip operation and visualizes its performance.

We identified the following essential use cases:

• Communication Range Tests: Testing various installation setups and communication parameters and schemes, with dual-channel operation for the latest 5G-V2X and DSRC (ITS-G5) or LTE-V2X.
• Message-Layer Interoperability Testing with Other Vendors: offering a comprehensive overview of all devices in multi-vendor events, including key metrics like radio technology, distance, and reception levels, with drilling down into each device detailed summaries.
• Real-World Traffic Scenario Demonstrations: allowing to showcase the capabilities of our integrated V2X software stack and safety applications, highlighting the driver experience and the system’s responsiveness.

Due to the technical nature of the app and the large amount of data involved, our design vision was a minimalistic app with a guiding principle of “The more important the data, the more salient it should be”. Following Autotalks’ color palette with a pastel twist, muted colors were chosen for backgrounds to allow brighter colors such as “Active Green”, “Warning Red” and Autotalks’ “Connectivity Orange” to shine through and highlight important information.
Designed for field test usage, the guiding principles were ease of use & navigation and accidental click minimization. In practice, these led to bigger spacing between data fields, enhanced button size and icon usage.

The heart of the app: The map view

The core feature of the app is the Map View, which dominates the interface and provides an intuitive real-time overview of detected devices

Devices are displayed with real-time location using distinctive icons (e.g., vehicle, bicycle). Critical events and alerts are highlighted above device icons, with alerts using fitting symbols and critical events marked in red for emphasis. Tapping on a device icon reveals detailed information, including radio characteristics and transmitted data, which appears in a side panel while the map remains visible. An orange marker highlights the selected device to ensure accurate data association.

This Map View effectively addresses several of the key use cases we identified:

• Communication Range Testing: Visualizing detected devices on a map helps assess road topology impact on range.
• Inter-vendor Experiments: Displaying and interacting with multiple devices simplifies testing and comparison with other solutions.
• Traffic Scenario Demonstrations: Triggering real-time hazards and visualizing V2X applications reactions.

Range test 

This unique view is optimized for testing the V2X communication range between the self and up to two other devices. Each device can operate using different V2X technology, leveraging Autotalks dual-channel capabilities. 

Range test mode includes a side panel displaying measurements clearly and compactly, while the map stays visible. Distance and Packet Error Rate (PER) measurements are emphasized with graphic indicators. Devices are numbered as the radio channels for simple device correlation. To avoid accidental presses during a field test, buttons for other modes are hidden, but settings and the recording button remain accessible.

Devices table

Sometimes the map doesn’t provide the full picture. The Devices Table complements it with a detailed overview of the received devices, allowing engineers to confirm overall operation at a glance.

Here, the side menu shows the key parameters table for each received device, along with the total number of devices received and the measured Channel Busy Ratio (CBR). Devices are numbered with their table row for easy correlation, and tapping a device on the map highlights its data in the table.

Events Trigger

V2X data includes vehicle events, status, and road conditions. A special mode allows users to simulate events, such as “Hard Braking” at the tap of a button to avoid emergency braking (or any other dangerous maneuver).  

This mode keeps the map visible to show real-time actions feedback while preventing accidental clicks with buttons that darken when activated.

Driver HMI

The final mode of LookApp is its crown jewel. While maps with icons are useful for testing, Driver HMI mode simulates how V2X systems will appear to drivers in the future. This creates a valuable benchmarking experience of the TEKTON3 stack and its applications for OEMs. The minimalist view keeps drivers’ attention on the road, showing only intuitive notifications when needed.

This animated road view is synced to the device’s speed to confirm real-time operation. Intuitive notifications pop up in bold red, along with a warning sound, to capture the driver’s attention. The side panel displays essential data with color indicators for quick status checks. Signal buttons trigger turn-related safety applications, simulating real-world use.

The Driver HMI mode effectively showcases Traffic Scenario Demonstrations, highlighting the V2X system driver’s experience and responsiveness, while giving a glimpse into the future, where every car is enhanced with the power of V2X.

We are very excited about our 3rd generation V2X technology and its potential to change the world and save lives. This app is just one of the tools to fulfill this potential. We are committed to continuous improvement and future updates to further enhance the experience. Stay tuned!

The post LookApp: a Brand New App for Our Brand New Chip first appeared on Autotalks.

In the US alone, one person dies every 39 minutes due to drunk-driving crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2022, 13,524 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths.[1] That’s a 16% increase from the 2020 statistics which show that 11,654 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. This accounts for over 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. This staggering statistic highlights the urgent need for a solution.  Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication might very well be the answer. It can give drivers, sober or drunk, the much needed extra time to react to road dangers.

V2X can mitigate drunk driving accidents by helping detect drunk drivers and alerting the surrounding road users. Additionally, it can help give impaired drivers warnings of upcoming potential dangers, allowing them more time to reacts.

Drunk Driver detection

V2X technology has its ability to detect erratic driving behavior, which is often indicative of impaired driving. V2X-equipped vehicles can monitor speed, lane positioning, trajectory and other driving behavior in real time. If a vehicle exhibits signs of reckless driving, such as swerving between lanes, constant hard braking or speeding, the V2X system can alert nearby drivers. Giving surrounding drivers those extra few seconds to react to a drunk driver, can often be the differentiating factor between an accident or a smooth ride. The surrounding drivers can take the time to slow downand wait before entering an intersection in order to let the dangerous driver pass, or even avert the danger by simply changing lanes.

V2X can help the impaired driver

Unfortunately, V2X cannot prevent someone who has been drinking to get behind the wheel, but it might help reduce the risk of crashing. Drinking alcohol can severely impact driving abilities. It leads to slower reaction times, impaired coordination, and decreased concentration.

A slower reaction time is one of the most common early effects of drinking alcohol. Often, people who drink might not feel “drunk”, but they are slower to respond to everything around them. For instance, drivers with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08%—the legal limit in the United States—experience an average decrease in reaction time of about 120 milliseconds. This delay translates to an additional 12 feet of travel at 70 mph before reacting to a hazard.[2]

A recent Virginia Tech study, funded by the USDOT, showed that on average, V2X detects road dangers 0.5 seconds before any line-of-sight sensor.[3] This means that an impaired driver using a V2X equipped car would receive warnings a half a second earlier than they would with even the most reliable sensor. This is a significant improvement, especially compared to drivers without any sensors, who might not perceive the danger until much later. Statistics show that even an additional 0.5 seconds to react can make a crucial difference in preventing accidents.

V2X is needed

Approximately 31% of all traffic fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers with a BAC of 0.08 g/dL or higher.[4]  The statistics underscore the urgent need for innovative solutions to combat the devastating impact of drunk driving. V2X technology offers a promising solution to mitigate accidents in general including drunk driving accidents. As V2X technology continues to evolve and become more widely adopted, it promises to create safer roads and save countless lives. Embracing this technology, alongside ongoing efforts to promote responsible driving behavior, is a critical step toward a future where drunk driving accidents become a rarity.

See also: V2X Firmware, V2X Hardware

[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving

[2] https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/how-alcohol-impairs-your-ability-drive

[3] https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/2/484

[4] https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-alcohol-impaired-driving

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