Researchers at the Instituto de Telecomunicações are developing technologies for the cars of the future within the scope of the ROUTE 25 project, specifically vehicles capable of communicating with one another and with road infrastructure. In a simulated environment, we observe how a crashed car alerts other vehicles within an 800-meter radius, enabling them to steer autonomously away.

Cameras and roadside sensors work together with the cars’ onboard computers. The goal is to create a cooperative mobility network where vehicles share sensor data and make joint decisions, whether at an intersection or a highway entrance.

This technology, known as V2X (vehicle-to-everything), could exponentially increase road safety by drastically reducing reaction times, with latencies of just milliseconds, compared to the seconds or even minutes current commercial applications need to alert drivers to road hazards.

There are already two million vehicles in Europe equipped with V2X capabilities (out of 300 million), a drop in the ocean. Only once, around 20% of vehicles are connected, is a significant impact expected.

ROUTE 25 project is an Agenda for Autonomous, Intelligent, Interoperable, and Inclusive Mobility, coordinated in IT by Joaquim Ferreira (featured in the video). 

Find out more about this project here.

Watch the video: