As the State Government’s new transport plan targets car-to-road communication as one of the future solutions to Adelaide’s transport congestion, an Adelaide company is already leading the world in rolling out the technology.
Known as “cooperative intelligent transport systems”, the technology allows cars and infrastructure to “talk” wirelessly to each other, making roads more efficient and safer.
Drivers could be informed of their optimal driving speed to make the next green light, for example, or rerouted to avoid traffic congestion or accidents.
Local startup Cohda Wireless claims to supply more than half the global market for the technology, which is currently the subject of large-scale tests in America and Germany, following smaller trials in Australia, France and Italy.
Cohda CEO Paul Gray and his technology. Photo: Nat Rogers / InDaily
Twelve car manufacturers, including Ford, Honda and BMW, last year signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategy to begin putting the technology in new cars from 2015, after urging from the European Union.
That, and the State Government’s plans for the technology, mean Cohda is well-placed to take advantage of an industry likely to boom.
“This is not something that you might start doing next week, but it’s something that everybody sees on the horizon,” Cohda CEO Paul Gray told InDaily.
“I think what everybody’s kind of waiting for is when production vehicles have this kind of technology in them.”
Cohda, which was spun out of research at the University of South Australia in 2004, is uniquely placed because its technology is custom-built for road management, whereas other manufacturers are being forced to re-purpose off-the-shelf tech.
Cohda’s devices can be incorporated directly into cars’ navigation systems or retrofitted on external GPSes.
In addition to congestion benefits, Gray said allowing cars to talk to each other would hopefully reduce the number of road accidents.
Cohda’s wireless technology allows cars to dodge traffic jams and pick the most efficient lane in which to drive. Because cars can “talk” to each other – not just the road – they can also dodge other vehicles when a likely collision is detected. The system can warn of blind spots or unsighted vehicles, allowing drivers to slow down or take evasive action.
“Imagine you’re driving down the road towards an intersection and there’s another car approaching down a side road.
“You have the right of way but they’re travelling too fast. Your vehicle is aware of the presence of the other vehicle and is aware that it’s got the potential to crash, and so it can generate a warning for the driver so that you can take steps to avoid an accident.”
The State Government’s recently-released transport plan said cooperative ITS would be a part of the future road network.
Gray said he was unaware of the State Government’s intentions in the field, but had done trials for the Department of Infrastructure and the Motor Accident Commission in the past.
