Audi Announces C-V2X, a Technology Making Children Safer

The German carmaker develops new technologies to enhance safety around schools.

Audi will collaborate with Applied Information, Temple Inc., and the Virginia Department of Transportation on an innovative safety feature, bringing significant advancements in vehicle safety and reducing road-related injuries and fatalities.

The collaboration resulted in two-vehicle applications that will use cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology and the 5.9Ghz band. The C-V2X technology, in its current state, only informs drivers of incoming construction zones and also provides traffic signal countdown.

Audi now plans to push the technology toward child safety. The first application will notify drivers as they enter an active school safety zone and remind them to slow down. Meanwhile, a real-time data sharing process will make use of the C-V2X and RSU safety beacons. The safety beacons will start flashing as the driver approaches while the system will track changing school schedules and send alerts accordingly.

The second application will warn drivers via OBUs if a bus stops to pick up a student. The system integrates C-V2X installed bus data with a C-V2X-equipped vehicle.

To execute its plans well, the German automaker started working with local schools. Meanwhile, Applied Information will be supplying RSU beacons and OBUs for the school busses. Finally, Temple Inc. is in charge of installing the network.

Production has already started at the Infrastructure Automotive Technology Laboratory (iATL) in Alpharetta, Georgia. The companies expect to complete it by the second half of 2021. Therefore, as soon as they finish real-world tests, the technology will find its way in upcoming vehicles such as the Audi e-tron. Owners of older cars can also expect to get an upgrade.

Audi’s initiative sure seems great. After witnessing the benefits that such a system might bring, let’s hope that other carmakers will also decide to implement such features in their models soon.

More details to come in 2021.

Source: Traffic Technology Today