Road accidents globally cause 1.35 million deaths and 50 million injuries annually. However, the good is that the convergence of communication advancements, intelligent transportation systems, and AI is paving the way for transformative solutions in traffic safety, comfort, and efficiency. AI’s integration with traditional data-driven approaches has unlocked novel possibilities in various scientific domains. When combined with Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, AI facilitates information acquisition from diverse sources, expands driver perception, and predicts potential accidents — elevating driving comfort, safety, and efficiency.
What Is Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Communication?
Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Communication is an advanced automotive technology that enables vehicles to exchange vital information with various elements in their surroundings. The information being shared through V2X encompasses road, traffic, and weather conditions in real-time. V2X complements conventional automotive communication systems by providing vital information that helps vehicles make better decisions and react faster to adverse events.
This communication allows vehicles to interact with other vehicles (V2V), infrastructure (V2I), pedestrians (V2P), and even the network (V2N). V2X utilizes Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) or Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology to transmit data such as real-time traffic conditions, potential hazards, and emergency alerts.
As such, this technology serves to:
- Enhance road safety
- Optimize traffic flow
- Pave the way for autonomous driving
- Create smarter, safer, and more efficient road ecosystems
What Does V2X Constitute?
The global automotive V2X market will reach $11,718.7 million by 2027, up from $2,565.6 million in 2019. This bodes well since V2X can be used to improve safety, efficiency, and convenience for road users.
That said, there are several different types of V2X communication, each with its own specific purpose.
V2V
Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication is the direct communication between two vehicles. It’s used to share information about the vehicles’ speed, location, and intentions. This information can be used to prevent collisions, improve traffic flow, and provide drivers with more situational awareness.
V2P
Vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication is the direct communication between a vehicle and a pedestrian. This type of communication can be used to warn pedestrians of approaching vehicles and alert vehicles of the proximity of pedestrians. Of course, this helps prevent accidents and make roads safer for pedestrians.
V2D
Vehicle-to-device (V2D) communication is the direct communication between a vehicle and a device, such as a roadside sensor. This type of communication can be used to receive information about traffic conditions or to receive instructions from traffic signals. It can be used to improve traffic flow and make roads safer for all road users.
V2I
Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication involves several vehicles communicating with the overall highway system. This can encompass communication with specific devices, traffic lights, road signs, etc. Again, this helps with information about congestion, accidents, construction, etc.
V2N
Vehicle-to-network (V2N) is much broader in scope and facilitates communication between the road infrastructure as well as other vehicles on the road. The idea is to leverage information about all the road conditions using the network.
So, overall, V2X serves the following benefits:
- Helps reduce traffic congestion by improving traffic flow and preventing accidents.
- Helps improve road safety by warning drivers of potential hazards and providing them with more situational awareness.
- Helps increase convenience for drivers by providing them with information about traffic conditions and by making it easier to find parking.
V2X communication is still a developing technology, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we drive. As V2X technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of this technology in the years to come.
Where Does AI Come into Play?
Recent computational technology and hardware developments have integrated AI into nearly all engineering research domains. One such field benefitting from AI’s involvement is autonomous driving, where it plays a fundamental role.
About 90% of fatal car accidents are caused by human error. The good thing is that assisted driving and connected cars can prove vital in reducing accidents significantly. To that end, V2X paves the way for connected cars and fully automated driving. Connectivity with other vehicles through AI, centralized cloud-based back-office systems, and roadside infrastructure can enable applications such as hazard warnings and cooperative, adaptive cruise control.
AI enables vehicle-to-traffic infrastructure (V2I) communication to reduce congestion and increase safety. Moreover, it can be used to automate much of the conversation between vehicles since they lack the semantic understanding of language. AI also provides the data required for applications like cooperative adaptive cruise control. Because of its key role in enabling V2X technology, AI is an essential component in future transportation systems.
Are There Any Challenges to V2X?
As seen above, V2X (vehicle-to-everything) technology is set to improve transportation by enabling seamless communication among vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and road infrastructure. However, the widespread adoption of V2X faces several challenges.
Security and Privacy
Protecting sensitive information exchanged in V2X communication from cyberattacks and misuse is a paramount concern. Therefore, implementing robust access control policies and encryption is crucial.
Communication Standards
Technologies like DSRC and C-V2X lack standardization. This hinders interoperability and scalability across different V2X systems.
Reliability
Ensuring V2X technology’s reliability in all traffic conditions and congestion levels remains vital for passenger safety but is challenging to implement.
Lack of Consumer Awareness
V2X technology’s novelty may limit its adoption due to a lack of awareness among consumers.
Processing and Analyzing Data
Handling the vast data generated by V2X technology poses a challenge that demands efficient data processing capabilities.
Legal Frameworks and Spectrum Availability
Addressing legal and regulatory frameworks, as well as spectrum availability, is essential for the successful implementation of V2X.
The Road Ahead
Of course, the integration of AI with V2X communication offers transformative possibilities for intelligent transportation systems. However, the automotive sector needs to overcome the aforementioned challenges to realize the potential of this convergence.
As businesses seek to leverage these advancements, Ascentt stands at the forefront with its expertise in artificial intelligence solutions. Our deep learning, neural networks, and reinforcement learning techniques enable us to craft customized AI solutions that address the challenges associated with V2X technology. Reach out today to learn more.