The convergence of the three largest industry trends — 5G, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence — is creating the perfect storm that promises to forever change the transportation landscape. Cellular vehicle-to-anything communication (C-V2X) is the wireless connectivity technology that is poised to improve driver and pedestrian safety, while reducing traffic congestion and improving fuel efficiency.
Based on the 5G standard (3GPP), which touts both cellular and point-to-point wireless connectivity, C-V2X allows vehicles and pedestrians to communicate with each other and with the infrastructure of a smart city. The reduction in accidents and traffic congestion and the resulting improvements in fuel efficiency are projected to be quite significant due to this connectivity technology, which enables environmental and situational awareness.
When artificial intelligence is applied to this communication, the integrity and associated effect of C-V2X will be increased even further. As was seen in early implementations of camera-based advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), the frequent false alerts could distract the driver and over time reduce driver response and reaction to actual or “real” alarms (like the boy who cried “wolf” too often). At some point, drivers will begin to discount the alarm that a C-V2X system issues if there are too many false alarms.
Applying artificial intelligence to traffic information received from C-V2X wireless communication reduces the false alarms in a wide range of situations where they could mistakenly be triggered when two vehicles are approaching each other but aren’t about to collide. There are actually several situations when, without additional intelligence, an alarm could be falsely triggered — such as when one vehicle is on a bridge while another is on the level below, when a vehicle is in a roundabout, or when a vehicle is at an intersection that has no traffic signal. In these situations, artificial intelligence is able to more accurately assess the actual situation and take the appropriate action or provide the appropriate response.
And the technology is not just the stuff of science fiction: Vehicles using C-V2X solutions are even now being adopted. Autotalks, a world leader in V2X communication solutions, recently announced that its chipset was being deployed by a major Chinese Tier 1 automotive provider. This deployment follows extensive testing in China over the past year. According to the research firm IHS Markit, China is expected to lead the global V2X market, producing an estimated 629,000 light vehicles equipped with C-V2X technology in 2020. The country is expected to stay in the lead until 2024.
Auto-qualified memory that fits into the small form factor typically associated the telematics control unit plays an essential role in enabling this burgeoning C-V2X market. To learn more about C-V2X and the associated Micron automotive solutions, read our white paper.
