Hyundai has invested in a company producing a chip that could help cars talk to each other and warn of hazards ahead.
Connected vehicle experts at Autotalks have developed a chip that broadcasts a car’s location, direction and speed up to 10 times per second.
All connected cars in the surrounding area receive messages and can estimate the risk imposed by the transmitting vehicle. If there is a potential hazard, a warning will show up on the car’s infotainment screen.
Eventually, instead of just providing a warning, fully autonomous cars will take direct action to prevent a crash.
The vehicle to everything (V2X) technology enables cars to talk to other vehicles along with infrastructure such as traffic lights and eventually cell phones to prevent pedestrians being involved in collisions.
Autotalks’ V2X system could cost as little as £75 (US$96) to install on a new car, and Hyundai’s CRADLE team has invested in the company.
Yaniv Sulkes, VP business development and marketing at Autotalks, said that the roads are the biggest killer among healthy people, with 3,700 people losing their lives a day globally.
“Our eyes are brilliant, they are as good as any camera but we might take our eyes off the road or lose concentration and this is where chipsets can help. Communication tools don’t need line of sight – if they detect a hazard they can give you enough time to take the right course of action, in confidence.”
Autotalks chipsets are expected to be fitted to cars from 2021.
Changhan Lee, coordinator of Hyundai Motor Company’s CRADLE office in Tel Aviv, said, “There will always be human error, whether drivers are distracted, or pedestrians aren’t paying attention and the consequences can be devastating. V2X technology improves road safety and Autotalks is one of a number of innovative Israeli startups Hyundai CRADLE is collaborating with.”
