Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) with 5G

Table of Contents

Abstract

Intelligent Transport System (ITS) has brought a revolution in the areas of transportation and connected vehicles. ITS leverages the idea of Vehicle-to-everything technology or V2X, to provide a safe and comfortable on-road traveling experience. As a result, V2X allows the amalgamation of vehicular and traffic data to address the issues of high accident rate, traffic congestion, etc. by sending proactive alerts and relevant traffic information that can help in safe and efficient traffic flow.

The Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology was built upon the idea of the connected car network (CCN) service that enables vehicles with inbuilt features like 911 auto-dial in case of an accident, normal voice calling, infotainment system for users, firmware and software updates, internet access, etc. Another evolving area of interest is the use of V2X for fully-fledged autonomous transport vehicles. Autonomous driving is the future of the ITS industry that will create a paradigm shift in the way connected cars and intelligent transportation works.

This article, very briefly, focuses on – What is Vehicle-to-everything or V2X? What is C-V2X or LTE-V2X technology? and how the introduction of 5G will enhance the current V2X capabilities.

Introduction

Over the years, vehicles have increased many folds, leading to a high number of injuries and deaths due to accidents. A practical solution was required to assure safety for travelers and pedestrians.

Likewise, this was a roadblock in the success of deploying fully-fledged autonomous vehicles.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) for smart and intelligent transportation

To tackle the issue of high death rate and road injuries, OEMs, MNOs, vehicle vendors, and technology experts came together to draft an optimal and long-term solution. The idea was to have a smart and intelligent transport system in place, that will enable the exchange of critical traffic data between the vehicles and other systems so that necessary actions can be taken proactively by the vehicle users. Therefore, the solution was Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and its primary focus was to ensure the safety of vehicle users and pedestrians. But, as V2X technology evolved, the focus shifted to other core issues like autonomous vehicles, traffic congestion, high pollution levels, etc. The evolution of big data aided the V2X technology and is a critical component in V2X success.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) key focus areas

Safety

V2X was built on the idea of the safety of vehicle users and pedestrians, to control the high death and injury rate due to road accidents.

Eco-friendly environment

V2X works towards efficiency in ITS. Information like traffic congestion, roadblocks, accident-prone areas, etc. is transmitted to the vehicle, and thus unnecessary fuel emissions can be controlled by taking an alternative route.

Time efficiency & Better productivity

Due to the increase in vehicles, it is quite evident that there has also been an increase in traffic congestion. This has been a major concern for commuters, as they tend to spend more time on the road which otherwise can be utilized for important work and quality time with family. Vehicle-to-everything solves this problem as information like traffic congestion, roadblock, dead-end, etc. is proactively delivered to the vehicle user, who can then take less congested and open routes.

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication methods

V2X majorly comprises of two types of communication methods: Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) and Cellular based V2X (C-V2X).

DSRC

DSRC has been part of ITS for a long time and plays an important role in V2V and V2I models. This mode of communication was developed specifically for safety-related information exchange between two vehicles and between vehicle and roadside infrastructure. The information exchange happens between vehicle onboard units (OBU) and roadside units (RSU).

C-V2X

C-V2X with LTE brought a revolution in the existing ITS-V2X world. LTE cellular network enhances the power of V2X and caters to a wider area of communication. C-V2X provides high reliability and low latency in V2V, V2I, V2N, and V2P data exchange mechanisms, which is very crucial for safety against an accident. Using features like high availability and wider reach of cellular networks, C-V2X proactively helps the user to identify any traffic congestion, roadblocks, accident-prone areas, non-line of sight vehicles around the intersection, etc.

Cellular V2X consists of 2 transmission modes.

Network communication

Leverages the existing LTE network to proactively alert vehicle users for closed roads, parking availability, etc.

Direct Communication

Real-time information like vehicle speed, traffic density, distance, etc. is exchanged between the two vehicles, or between the vehicle and pedestrians, or between vehicles and roadside infrastructure. This type of communication is independent of the cellular network. A dedicated ITS spectrum is used through which information is directly exchanged between vehicles. This helps the user to evaluate any critical situation, and take proactive measures.

Note: Cellular-V2X has twice the range than Wi-Fi based DSRC, and so C-V2X is much more efficient and reliable. Also, in case there is no cellular connectivity, the capability of vehicles to interact with satellite systems for data exchange is also being considered, but this will also mean high latency and more response time for vehicle users.

Advantages of LTE-V2X

Introduction

LTE evolution is one of the biggest transformations in cellular networks. LTE converges the cellular voice and cellular data capabilities into a single packet-switched network. The technology (LTE) has data speed almost 10 times than provided by a 3G UMTS network, which means low latency, fast response time, and high reliability in Vehicle-to-everything technology. The LTE-V2X is still in the deployment and testing phase across various countries and will take some time to be ready for commercial use.

Advantages

The following are some of the advantages of LTE-based C-V2X, or simply LTE-V2X.

Leveraging the LTE network in C-V2X means high-speed data transfer and low latency. Low latency data exchange is an important factor as it will lead to higher response times for vehicle users to avert any possibility of an accident.
LTE-V2X will enable high data reliability and real-time data exchange that can help drivers to proactively know if there is any traffic congestion, which thus will increase traffic efficiency.
LTE-V2X has an added advantage over DSRC, as it supports both long-range and short-range data exchange between vehicles and roadside infrastructure.
LTE-V2X will make use of sensors that will add to the driver’s capability to go beyond their line of sight, and will proactively help the driver to avoid any accident situation around the intersections and sharp turns.
The vehicle’s inbuilt processing system can process data gathered from the onboard sensors and roadside infrastructure to interpret road signs or any road-blocking object.
LTE-V2X can help in managing vehicle convoys. Vehicle convoy is a feature of autonomous vehicles. The vehicles in a convoy move very close to each other, such that a safe distance cannot be maintained by a human driver. Using LTE-V2X, the cars in the convoy can speed up or slow down according to the changing traffic conditions and movement patterns of other cars. Vehicle convoy also makes better use of road space and traffic lanes.
L2-V2X can provide features of smart and co-operative driving, where a vehicle driver will know if the vehicle in the front is about to slow down, or if someone in the front vehicle is about to open the vehicle door, etc.

Advantages of Cellular based Vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) with 5G

C-V2X is expected to be fully compatible with upcoming 5G networks, which means there will not be any major change in the acceptance of C-V2X with 5G. This will also help in saving costs for any new infrastructure, new equipment, and technology upgrades in the existing LTE network.

One of the thought processes behind the introduction of Vehicle-to-everything was to enable a fully-fledged autonomous driving experience. For autonomous driving, it is very critical that accurate information is available with the vehicle so that every aspect of safety is taken care of.

The following are added advantages of C-V2X enabled with 5G over LTE-V2X.

5G will help in the fast exchange of very precise data relating to vehicle positioning, vehicle speed, vehicle condition, etc. for autonomous and co-operative driving. This data is also expected to be more reliable than LTE.
5G will enable a fast exchange of dynamic traffic maps generated using onboarded sensors and roadside camera feed, which will help in better understanding of traffic conditions, less congested routes, nearby places, etc.
It will help in high density platooning, by using very low latency data exchange. Also, as 5G can support more connections than the LTE network, a greater number of autonomous vehicles can be connected in a platoon for a safe driving experience.