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Honda and SoftBank Corp. Test Cellular V2X Technology to Prevent Traffic Accidents

Honda and SoftBank Corp. Test Cellular V2X Technology to Prevent Traffic Accidents

Connected vehicle technology, which enables vehicles to be constantly connected to communication networks, is expected to be essential to next-generation forms of mobility, including autonomous driving. By connecting vehicles to various things in transportation environments, connected vehicle technology can potentially reduce traffic accident risks to realize a safer future.

With the aim of preventing traffic accidents, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434)’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Honda R&D Co., Ltd. (Honda) collaborated to conduct technology verifications that predict collision risks and notify drivers by integrating vehicle and traffic infrastructure data.

Yakumo Fujimoto

Yakumo Fujimoto

Next Generation Connected Development Section
Advanced Technology Development Department
Research Institute of Advanced Technology, SoftBank Corp.

Fujimoto joined SoftBank in 2021. After conducting research and development on communication technology aimed at utilizing V2X and digital twins, as well as data acquisition and control via APIs, he now researches communication technology for connected vehicles.

Cellular V2X: a technology that connects vehicles to everything

Two central issues were addressed with this technology verification. The first concerned traffic accidents that involve vulnerable road users, such as motorcyclists and pedestrians, which account for roughly 70% of all traffic accidents in Japan. The second issue was related to a transitional period in which both connected and non-connected vehicles coexist. During this period when automated driving is being realized, it will be crucial to predict the behavior of different types of vehicles with varying connectivity to prevent accidents.

To conduct the technology verification, SoftBank provided a cellular V2X environment and built a data integration platform to aggregate traffic conditions across an entire road network.

藤本

V2X (vehicle-to-everything) refers to communications technology that enables the exchange of information by connecting vehicles to other vehicles, traffic infrastructure, pedestrians and other objects. Cellular V2X is a technology that uses wireless communication networks such as LTE and 5G to realize V2X.

Honda and SoftBank Corp. Test Cellular V2X Technology to Prevent Traffic Accidents

SoftBank’s data integration platform aggregates data on the locations and speeds of connected vehicles, vehicle data, and data on the locations and speeds of non-connected vehicles, which are gathered by roadside sensors installed on an expressway. By integrating this data and notifying drivers of potential risks among vehicles in the digital space, the system helps drivers avoid accidents.

Honda and SoftBank Corp. Test Cellular V2X Technology to Prevent Traffic Accidents

藤本

One of the key points of this technology verification is that we obtained data from roadside sensors that acquire data on vehicles without communication functions, or non-connected vehicles.
In addition, we used the “risk algorithm” that Honda is developing. It predicts driver behavior several seconds in advance based on information distributed in real time from our data integration platform.

Possible to detect accident risks and deliver notifications with 4G LTE and 5G

This technology verification was conducted as part of the "Road-Vehicle Cooperation Demonstration Experiment for the Autonomous Driving Era on Expressways" project being implemented on a section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway. The infrastructure is currently being built by Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited (NEXCO Central). The trial envisaged a situation where a motorcycle on the expressway suddenly changes lanes due to driver inattention, creating a risk to vehicles in the vicinity.

This use case examined risks that arise when the distance between a connected motorcycle and a non-connected vehicle traveling in front of it is shortened, and the motorcycle fails to recognize a connected vehicle in the adjacent lane and changes lanes. The potential risks included a collision between the motorcycle and the vehicle in the adjacent lane, as well as sudden braking by the vehicle in the adjacent lane. SoftBank and Honda confirmed that accidents can be avoided by using 4G LTE and 5G cellular V2X technology to predict driver behavior and notify drivers of potential risks.

藤本

There was a difference in the delay times between the roadside sensor data and the vehicle data, making it difficult to accurately reproduce conditions in the digital space. As a countermeasure, we built a system that absorbs the difference of data timestamp and delay times.
We believe that by increasing the number of connected vehicles and roadside sensors, it will be possible to share information across an entire road network, and this will prevent accidents and provide a safer driving environment.

More details on the technology verification can be seen in the video below (use the settings to view auto-generated subtitles in your preferred language).

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(Posted on December 17, 2024, Original Article Published on September 26, 2024)
by SoftBank News Editors