Safety first: Making connnected cars safer cars

Smart devices, data sensor fusion, firmware and application stacks, camera based analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), ultrasound, microwave sensors – these are just some of the technologies making driving safer

And they all play a part in the technologies Vodafone Automotive will be showing off at one of the biggest dates in the automotive industry calendar, IAA in Frankfurt, from 12 – 20 September 2019.

Attendees will be able to have a go at narrowband internet of things (nbIoT) enabled smart parking, which aims to make it easier to park in cities. As well as test the Audi e-tron platform, a smart in-car entertainment system linked to smart touchscreen technology.

“It’s great to see how better connectivity continues to open up opportunities to deliver even more advanced in-car technologies and services,” says Gion Baker, CEO of Vodafone Automotive.

“It can be even more motivating to see how the latest advancements, such as 5G, are changing the way people live, not just travel. This shift is helping us rethink our own role in this evolving landscape.”

“We want to keep providing world-class telematics services and entertainment to our automotive customers, but we also see a future where connectivity in vehicles actually redefines how road networks, vehicles and other road users interact.”

Smart devices, data sensor fusion, firmware and application stacks, camera based analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), ultrasound, microwave sensors – these are just some of the technologies making driving safer.

Driving change

The Vodafone Driving Academy is part of this. It’s a an app for your smartphone that monitors driver behaviour, analyses it and then helps the user to make changes to reduce distractions.

And safety isn’t just about keeping drivers safe says Mr Baker – the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System warns pedestrians an electric vehicle is approaching.

“The real game changer for us though, the project that truly re-writes the rules of road safety and shapes the future of connected mobility, is the 5G-based C-V2X technology,” he says.

“We foresee 5G to be crucial for the safer transport of tomorrow, and are already working alongside governments, automakers and other technology companies to make sure road users can gain the most from the evolution of connectivity.”

Read more from Gion Baker on the Gigabit Thinking blog by Vodafone Business – or catch his keynote at the IAA conference – shaping the future of the mobility ecosystem on 12 September 2019.