Cohda Wireless CEO Paul Gray

ADELAIDE-BASED technology company Cohda Wireless has confirmed that its vehicle-to-everything (V2X) software will be fitted as standard to Cadillac’s model year 2017 CTS luxury sedan.

As GoAuto reported last year, Cohda will supply its Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) tech for the recently updated model that is sold in the United States and Canada.

Cohda describes its DSRC as a “two-way, short to medium range wireless technology defined by the 802.11p communications standard”.

DSRC is not restricted by the line of sight like cameras, radars or lidar sensors, which Cohda says offers car-makers a “safer and more reliable” communication solution.

In the Cadillac CTS, the Cohda-based DSRC system and GPS are used to transmit and receive up to 1000 messages per second from other vehicles that could be as far as 300 metres away.

Cohda’s V2X software provides the Cadillac CTS with what it calls “360-degree awareness” by gathering data from sensors on other vehicles that are close by as well as roadside infrastructure to detect possible hidden threats by looking beyond what the driver is capable of seeing.

The company says it has supplied the full software stack for the 2017 CTS, which includes 10 DSRC V2X applications such as ‘Intersection Collision Warning’, ‘Hazardous Location Warning’ and ‘Emergency Vehicle Warning’.

US boost: Cohda V2X technology has been fitted to the model year 2017 Cadillac CTS.

“This is now the benchmark that other production cars will be judged against when it comes to technology and safety,” Cohda Wireless CEO Paul Gray said.

“Our DSRC technology allows the driver to know what’s going on with other vehicles that may be speeding, braking hard, broken down or navigating slippery road conditions. By providing advance notice of the hazard, the driver has time to avoid it by changing lanes or slowing down.”

Cadillac global director of product strategy Richard Brekus said the American luxury brand has been a pioneer of safety tech in the past and highlighted the benefits of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology.

“From the introduction of airbags, to the debut of OnStar, Cadillac continues its heritage of pioneering safety and connectivity advances,” he said. “V2V essentially enables the car to sense around corners. Connecting vehicles through V2V holds tremendous potential, as this technology enables the car to acquire and analyse information outside the bounds of the driver’s field of vision.

“As an early mover, we look forward to seeing its benefit multiply as more V2V-equipped vehicles hit the road.”

Cohda has quoted US department of transportation research that predicts just two V2X applications – ‘Intersection Movement Assist’ and ‘Left Turn Assist’ – could help reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities by an average of 50 per cent.

The research goes on to predict that combined with other V2X applications, they could “eliminate or reduce the severity of up to 80 per cent of non-impaired crashes”.

Cohda says that the US department of transport has set a goal for the automotive industry to roll-out more V2X tech in the coming years.

By Tim Nicholson