Unmanned Systems Technology 024 | Wingcopter 178 l 5G focus l UUVs insight l CES report l Stromkind KAT l Intelligent Energy fuel cell l Earthsense TerraSentia l Connectors focus l Advanced Engineering report

38 A trial of 5G highway infrastructure between Eindhoven and Tilburg, in the Netherlands, tested how self-driving cars communicate with each other, with traffic signs, matrix signs and/or traffic lights. Other trials are taking place in Bristol, UK, as part of the Flourish project. There, a team from the local university is developing technology that can handle different types of wireless link such as the 802.11p variant of wi-fi and 60 GHz millimetre wave through a roadside access point, routing data to secure, scalable roadside computing systems. This architecture allows the system to handle different layers of data depending on its importance, and the amount and latency required, but it needs sophisticated networking software technology. The top ‘fog layer’ is scalable and transparent to the system providers and can also have redundant nodes to allow reliable 24/7 operation. The first trial in Bristol tested a connected vehicle network and associated technologies in a complex urban environment. It studied message delivery, the distance over which messages can be successfully sent (depending on the local environment) and the time between sending and receiving messages, as well as how the transceivers performed. Under the trial conditions, the maximum distance for the successful communication of messages was 472 m, with some non-line-of-sight (NLOS) coverage achieved. Transmission reliability showed a rapid drop-off in the delivery of reliable comms beyond 120 m, but 95% of all one-way messages were received within 778 ms. The data gathered has provided a benchmark against which the performance of a range of V2X services can be evaluated. Work on 5G car-to car-links started in Release 14, which defined two transmission modes for cellular V2X that together enable a broad range of use cases. Direct C-V2X, which includes V2V, V2I and vehicle-to-pedestrian, provides enhanced communication range and reliability in the dedicated ITS 5.9 GHz spectrum that is independent of a cellular network, as well as network comms in the traditional mobile broadband licenced spectrum. This is being carried through to Release 16. Compared to 802.11p-based technologies, 5G-based Direct C-V2X provides increased communication range at 1 km – twice that of DSRC – better NLOS performance, enhanced reliability and cost efficiency without relying on cellular network assistance or coverage for enhanced safety services. This provides direct links between cars, both autonomous and driven, without using base station infrastructure. That allows the C-V2X technology to communicate with other vehicles to negotiate which car goes first, for example, and to provide information to human drivers about the intentions of the driverless cars around them. The C-V2X technology was integrated into an Audi Q8 that was modified for the trial with an extra antenna and computer installed for the comms. However, Ford has said that 5G C-V2X technology will be installed in all its cars in 2022. The AutoAir project in the UK is aiming to deliver a range of 5G wireless technologies and services for V2I. This is using hyper-dense, neutral-host small cell networks in the sub-6 GHz spectrum, 70 GHz wireless backhaul and access to fast-moving vehicles using 60 GHz wireless, also called millimetre wave (mmWave). That will provide 1 Gbit/s access to vehicles travelling at up to 160 mph, with the cars provided by McLaren, to relay high-quality video (4K resolution or higher) data in real time from vehicle to February/March 2019 | Unmanned Systems Technology The specification of the C-V2X car- to-car technology based around 5G (Courtesy of Qualcomm)