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Cisco and Cohda Wireless are set to start rolling out a connected roadways infrastructure across Australia following a four-year partnership.
The networking vendor is expecting to start selling the Connected Roadways solution through its Australian channel partners next year.
The solution, which is aimed at improving safety, consists of Cohda Road-Side Unit (RSU) MK5 connecting to vehicles via dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) that is integrated with a Cisco IR809 IoT Gateway.
Using these, the data and location of vehicles is then tracked to identify if any of the road users are under threat.
This information will then be sent to connected vehicles bearing a Cohda Wireless on-board unit warning them of traffic disruptions and hazardous conditions. In addition, the technology will also warn drivers when a vulnerable pedestrian is on a highway via Wi-Fi from their smartphones.
Once data is gathered, it will be sent from the router to the cloud with the intention of alerting public authorities to any on-road dangers.
“It’s about setting up the infrastructure that brings benefits to the cities now and also gets it ready for when cars are connected,” Cohda Wireless marketing VP Andrea Ash said.
Although Ash admitted completely autonomous, driverless cars are a long way in the future, she said connected vehicles -- those with wireless internet access -- will be more widely-used within the next three to four years.
Cohda is working with a number of car manufacturers, including Cadillac in Australia and VW globally, to bring the connected technology to new models.
To execute the roll-out, Cisco plans to work with a small number of resellers specialising in the IoT space from next year.
The product comes as Cisco pilots a project centred on Adelaide, which sees the vendor work with SQLstream, Quanergy, Astrata and Bartco Visual Information Systems, plus Data#3 and QuantumIT to connect the city’s roads.
The aim of this project is to reduce traffic congestion in the South Australian capital.
