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09/13/2019
Honda Puts V2I To The Test In Ohio
Source: Automotive News
On the road to a collision-free society, if there's a such thing as an on-ramp, central Ohio may be it.
Vehicle to infrastructure technology, or V2I, is a cousin to vehicle-to-vehicle technology, or V2V, also known as talking cars.
Honda is working on both, but there's a challenge with V2V, says Sue Bai, chief engineer in the automobile technology research division of Honda R&D Americas.
But even for cars with sensors, buildings at the corners of an intersection can challenge the technology. Honda is tackling this disadvantage at its experimental smart intersection in Marysville, Ohio, using mounted cameras. The cameras work with Honda's object recognition software to enable vehicles to virtually see through and around buildings to better detect approaching traffic and pedestrians.
Honda's V2I pilots use dedicated short-range communications technology, for which a swath of wireless spectrum in the 5.9-gigahertz range is allocated.
The Federal Communications Commission set aside this part of the spectrum for intelligent transportation in 1999, and now other industries are clamoring for the FCC to open the range for them to use.
But Bai said the spectrum must be preserved to make roads safer.
"The spectrum has been allocated for a good reason for transportation safety," she said. "And it takes a long time for the automotive industry to develop an automotive-grade technology.