Cohda to begin C-ITS trials in the Australian city of Ipswich

Cohda Wireless has been announced as a key partner in the largest C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport System) trial in Australia to date. The Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot, being delivered by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) will involve around 500 public and fleet vehicles which will be retro-fitted with Cohda Wireless’s On-Board Unit (OBU).

A core component of the Pilot is the field operational test of several C-ITS safety applications, including vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) internationally-compliant C-ITS technologies. The trial will take place in the city of Ipswich and its purpose is to prepare the state of Queensland for the emergence of advanced vehicle technologies and their associated benefits of improved safety, mobility and reduced environmental impact.

As part of the trial, arterial and motorway infrastructure in and around Ipswich will be fitted with Roadside C-ITS devices that will ‘talk' to the Cohda OBU in each of the participating vehicles. The Cohda OBUs are designed to exchange data at high speeds over extended distances, permitting class-leading reactions times to potential hazards and safety-critical scenarios. The roadside units and in-vehicle devices will communicate with each other to share safety-related warnings and advisory messages with drivers.

Use-case applications include:

Emergency braking warning (V2V) - This warning alerts drivers to a cooperative vehicle braking hard some distance ahead.
In-vehicle speed warning (V2I) - This warning provides drivers with information about active, static or variable speed limits. It then alerts them if they are exceeding that limit.
Turning warning for bicycle riders and pedestrians (V2V) - This warning alerts drivers to pedestrians or bicycles crossing at an upcoming intersection.
Road works warning (V2I) - This warning alerts drivers to upcoming roadworks, giving them time to slow down or change lanes.
Back-of-queue-warning (V2I) - This warning provides drivers with information about an upcoming traffic queue.
Red light violator warning (V2I/V2V) - This warning alerts drivers that another cooperative vehicle is likely to run a red light across their path at the intersection ahead.
Red light warning (V2I) - This warning alerts drivers if it's likely that they'll drive through a red light ahead, unless they brake.
Stopped or slow vehicle warnings (V2V) - This warning alerts drivers of an impending rear-end collision with another cooperative vehicle ahead of them.
Hazard warning (V2I) - This warning alerts drivers to upcoming hazards, such as water on the road, road closures, or a crash.
Cohda's role includes the provision of the display that will be incorporated into the dash board of each participating vehicle to provide alerts and messages to the driver.

Cohda Wireless CEO Dr. Paul Gray said that the project will produce quantitative data that will be of interest and relevance all over the world and will position Australia as a leading nation in the application of technology to make roads safer and more environmentally friendly.

“We firmly believe that the Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot will contribute significantly to the advancement of a connected and cooperative road transport environment in Australia and we are delighted to be a partner in it,” explained Dr. Gray.

“We are particularly excited about being involved in an initiative of this scale and magnitude that has connectivity at its core. We believe that connecting road users and infrastructure is critical,” added Dr Gray.