Ford Wants Vehicles to Talk With Traffic Lights, Mass Transit, Pedestrians

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Ford announced it will establish an open, cloud-based platform that allows different parts of a city’s transportation system to work together to move people safely and more efficiently. The platform will share real-time data between a variety of transportation methods and the people associated with them, from personal vehicles to pedestrians, bicycles, mass transit, traffic lights, and parking locations.

We’ve heard of cars communicating traffic data and road warnings to other vehicles on the road, but Ford is taking the idea of connectivity many steps further. Real-time data communication enabled by the platform can improve traffic flow across many mediums, reducing congestion in cities. Crucially, app developers and companies can access the platform’s capabilities to create new services to help customers get around more easily.

It can make sure autonomous ride-hailing vehicles aren’t driving without passengers during rush hour traffic, or even establish the safest pickup and drop-off zones for these vehicles. Lyft is currently testing the platform that should help deploy autonomous cars to different areas of the city based on demand. This could be a crucial part of Ford’s goal to offer autonomous ride-hailing vehicles by 2021.

Pedestrians can send signals to cars via their mobile phones, helping others detect their presence. In the future, stoplights can warn vehicles of a potential accident or dangerous situation to prevent more trouble on the road. The tech could also help curb pollution by allowing cities to set specific regions where vehicles must drive in fully electric mode. Other applications include identity management, payment processing, and location-based services.

To create the new platform, Ford is partnering with Autonomic, a Silicon Valley-based company with expertise in cloud and distributed systems. The automaker has also teamed up with Qualcomm to explore the potential of cellular “vehicle-to-everything” technology that uses advanced wireless technologies to connect together different parts of the transportation system. Ford says this communication doesn’t require coverage or a cellular subscription to work. In the near future, stoplights and intersections could come equipped with 5G communications, and vehicles would need to offer the tech to support this.

Although not quite as radical as its drone delivery service idea, Ford has partnered with Postmates to make it easier for customers to access goods they need in cities. Ford and the on-demand delivery company will explore ways in which self-driving vehicles can send goods to people more efficiently. Ford says the move could help support local businesses by expanding their reach beyond specific neighborhoods.

Source: Ford