Cisco(NASDAQ:CSCO) and NXP Semiconductors N.V.(NASDAQ:NXPI) have announced that they have each made an investment in Cohda Wireless to advance intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and car-to-X communications. The latest announcement brings together the expertise of the three organizations to make the Internet of Everything a reality for the automotive industry, creating a safer and more enjoyable driving experience while improving traffic flow.
Car-to-Car (C2C) and Car-to-Infrastructure (C2I) communications enable active safety systems that can affect 81 percent of all crash scenarios, as a result helping to reduce fatalities and injuries on the roads. In addition to improving safety, car-to-infrastructure (C2I) communication holds great potential for intelligent transport system (ITS) management and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
C2C and C2I communications require highly reliable and secure data exchange between fast moving vehicles and infrastructure in a range of conditions – from rural highway to dense urban canyons. NXP and Cohda Wireless have built a market-ready, flexible wireless communication solution for onboard-units based on Cohda’s existing advanced radio and NXP’s market-proven software-defined radio technology. This makes it a key element to connect to Cisco’s vision of a ubiquitous and highly-secure Internet of Everything.
The three companies will apply their collective expertise and technologies to help automotive OEMs, suppliers, enterprises and consumers to connect vehicles with ITS infrastructure. This will be spearheaded by producing the first automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products for onboard and road side units that are ready for C2C and C2I deployments across the globe.
Maciej Kranz, VP / GM of the Connected Industries Group at Cisco said, “We believe that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected, and smarter vehicles are one of the many ways in which we will fully experience the Internet of Everything. The onboard solution is one element of an end-to-end architecture that integrates with Cisco’s offboard network infrastructure. Our ultimate aim is to bring about a safer, more enjoyable, and more productive travel experience, enabled by the network.”
