Autotalks

Foxconn invests $10 million in Autotalks

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Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT), a subsidiary of Foxconn (Hon Hai Technology Group), the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, announced investment of $10 million in Autotalks, a strategic collaboration agreement between the two companies. The joint micro-mobility activity will start this year, on the basis of Autotalks’ ZooZ micro-mobility platform which was recently launched.

ZooZ platform is composed of a ZooZ device installed on the bike or scooter, alerting when a V2X vehicle is endangering the cyclist, and a ZooZ smart sign, lighting up when a ZooZ device is approaching an intersection. The joint automotive activity will start early next year. Autotalks provides V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) chipset to allow direct communication between vehicles and all other road users, without using the cellular network.

Each unit transmits ten times per second its location, speed, and heading. Each unit receives messages from other road users, analyzes those locally, and detects a risk if exists. The communication is range is more than 300 meter in dense urban areas and more than 1 kilometer on highways. “We see Autotalks as the provider of the world’s most trusted V2X solution,” said Thomas Fann, Special Assistant to Chairman at FIT.

Smart signpost helps prevent electric bike and scooter accidents at intersections

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Autotalks, a V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication solutions pioneer, is leveraging its V2X solution to prevent accidents between electric bicycles and electric scooters and cars. As part of this effort, Autotalks developed and successfully tested together with Israel’s Ben-Gurion University a ‘smart’ signpost for preventing accidents. The new signpost is intended for installation at intersections, where 75% of accidents involving cyclists occur.

“As a company dedicated to saving lives on the roads using V2X technology, Autotalks understood that a major factor was to prevent accidents involving electric bikes and scooters. In addition, we understood that the global deployment of V2X must begin with two-wheelers,” said Onn Haran, founder and CTO of Autotalks. “The smart signpost that we successfully tested with Ben-Gurion University serves as an important first milestone in equipping dangerous intersections with a comprehensive platform that will help prevent accidents involving two-wheeled electric vehicles.”

The ‘smart’ signpost is equipped with Autotalks’ V2X chipset and communicates with a V2X device installed on the electric bike or scooter. The signpost lights up when there is a two-wheeler at the intersection. Vehicles equipped with V2X will receive a warning on their screen if their car is endangering the rider.

Autotalks teamed up with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev for a trial that focused on analyzing and modeling the actions and behavior of the car driver. The trial was overseen by Noa Zangi, an M.A. student, under the direction of Dr. Avinoam Borowsky, an expert in Ergonomic Engineering from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. During the trial, a sophisticated driving simulator was used to check the impact of the smart signpost. The trial tested three scenarios – driving with the help of a smart signpost, driving with the help of a regular signpost, and the absence of a signpost. The simulator displayed a range of driving situations and monitored the driver’s braking and where his or her gaze was focused.

Drivers were 70% more likely to brake for the bike at the intersection with the smart signpost. A regular signpost boosted the driver’s attention to an electric bike rider by 20%. This improvement did not come at the expense of attention given to others at or near the intersection.

“As a researcher of driving behavior, I understand how a driver divides his or her attention at an intersection is critical. Our study determined that the smart signpost does in fact increase driver’s alertness,” said Dr. Avinoam Borowsky, who oversaw the study. “The smart signpost has great potential in reducing electric bike accidents and we recommend a pilot study measuring the improvement at real intersections in cities as a next step.”

Autotalks to provide V2X chipset for ZF

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ZF Group has selected Autotalks V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication solutions to its future ADAS system ProConnect Connectivity Unit. Autotalks’ dual-mode (DSRC/C-V2X) V2X chipsets will be integrated into ZF´s solution planned to be used in autonomous e-shuttles produced by the Dutch company 2getthere (photo above). Autotalks’ V2X chipsets allow vehicles to communicate with roadside units (RSUs) and to interface with road infrastructure objects such as traffic lights.

Driverless autonomous vehicles cannot afford any failure or uncertainty under any condition. In addition to vision-based sensors, which rely on AI training, V2X provides autonomous vehicles another information from the traffic light controller and other road-users. This contributes to more redundancy and thus safety. “We are honored that a world-class automotive systems provider such as ZF chose to team up with Autotalks to take part in creating its ADAS platform,” said Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks.

Autotalks’ 2nd generation V2X chipset is the world’s first available solution which supports both DSRC based on 802.11p/ITS-G5 standards and C-V2X based on 3GPP release 14 and 15 specifications with embedded V2X cyber-security functionality. The chipset allows customers to easily toggle between DSRC and C-V2X communications.

Autotalks joins SECUR project to validate V2X role in road safety

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Autotalks, a global leading provider of V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication solutions, joined the SECUR (Safety Enhancement through Connected Users on the Road) project, coordinated by UTAC CERAM Millbrook to improve the safety of all road users. The project will provide several inputs on testing and assessing the V2X systems for the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) in 2025. SECUR consists of the world’s leading OEMs, Tier1s and test labs, including Toyota, Honda, Renault, Volkswagen, Denso, Bosch, Continental, Valeo and many other companies. Autotalks is currently the only semiconductor and the only Israeli company in the group that will contribute its expertise in how V2X communications can improve road safety.

In the next two years, SECUR has set a goal to complete the task of defining the V2X test procedure that will serve as the basis for the new safety rating by the EuroNCAP 2025. Euro NCAP is responsible for the industry’s most important safety rating, and in recent years has increasingly focused its attention on advanced safety technologies. V2X harnesses vehicle to road users and vehicle to traffic infrastructure communications to improve road safety. Global road safety agencies project a significant reduction in traffic accidents with the adoption of V2X technology.

At the conclusion of the two-year long research period, results will be made public and will be integrated into the Euro NCAP 2025 roadmap. In the past, Euro NCAP recommendations were almost always followed by similar organizations around the world. This will no doubt be the case with V2X. Traditionally, safety features approved by EuroNCAP have become common in nearly every new vehicle within a couple of years. The significance of EuroNCAP is underscored by the fact that 89% of all vehicles sold in Europe have a 4- or 5-star rating and 97% of all new vehicles sold in Europe have a EuroNCAP rating.

“We believe our decade of experience with V2X technology can serve as a tremendous contribution in defining the standard for the industry,” said Onn Haran, CTO, and Founder of Autotalks. He added that the acceleration of V2X deployment, combined with the crucial NCAP stamp of approval, once granted, will lead to V2X being installed in every new car.

Autotalks’ production-ready chipset fully meets all the requirements for European deployment. In addition, the dual-technology operation enables a single platform, supporting both DSRC and C-V2X for reducing development costs and efforts by OEMs and tier1s.

Autotalks showcased its V2X chipset in a large scale demo in Shanghai

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V2X chipset provider Autotalks has successfully collaborated with seven consortiums and five car makers including Great Wall, Dongfeng and Brilliance Auto, a top US car maker and a leading European car maker, in China’s largest ever C-V2X demonstration, which took place in Shanghai.

Autotalks demonstrated the interoperability and conformance of its V2X solution to the latest Chinese C-V2X standard.

The demonstration took place as part of the IMT-2020/CAICV/China SAE 2020 C-V2X “New Four Layers” event. The interoperability application demonstration was part of the China SAE Congress and Exhibition that was held on October 27th-29th.

Autotalks’ OEM partners, conducted demonstration rides for hundreds of visitors, exhibiting conformance and interoperability at all levels: chipset, system, software and security. The terminal units at the ‘’New Four Layers” demonstration were powered by Autotalks’ dual-mode (DSRC/C-V2X) chipsets, showcasing the maturity and readiness of Autotalks’ module eco-system. The terminal units were based on C-V2X modules by Murata, Fibocom, M2Motive and Titan, and were running Neusoft’s VeTalk V2X software. The “New Four Layers” event also demonstrated integration with HD Map, accurate positioning services, cloud platform, and tested more complex driving scenarios compared to last year’s event.

Autotalks’ production grade C-V2X solution meets all Chinese performance, configuration, throughput and security requirements and is ready for deployment there as well as in other international markets, following extensive testing in China. The company’s deployment-ready, 2nd generation dual-mode V2X chipset is the world’s first available solution which supports C-V2X based on 3GPP release 14 and 15 specifications with embedded global V2X cyber-security functionality and RX and TX antenna diversity.

In addition to the application demonstration, Autotalks successfully participated in multiple large-scale tests, showcasing superior performance in multi-OBU (On-Board Units) environment. The large-scale tests, which involved more than 180 OBUs in multiple settings, simulated more difficult environments that represent real-world edge cases.

The 2020 “New Four Layers” demonstration follows Autotalks’ successful participation in last year’s event and the selection of Autotalks for a mass production C-V2X program in China, one of the first to be deployed in the huge Chinese market.

Emergency Vehicles to control Traffic Lights

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A cooperation between Autotalks from Israel and Applied Information from Atlanta, Georgia, may change many concepts regarding the role of V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communications. The two companies are carrying out a unique active V2X deployment, that allows emergency vehicles to control roadside units such as traffic lights.

Applied Information has developed a Dual-Mode/Dual-Active Roadside Unit to communicate with vehicles equipped with V2X On Board Units. The systems employs Autotalks’ dual mode chipsets, that supports both DSRC standards (802.11p/ITS-G5) and C-V2X (Cellular V2X based on 3GPP release 14 and 15 specifications) with embedded cyber-security functionality. The chipset allows customers to easily toggle between DSRC and C-V2X.

The initial deployment will take place in Alpharetta, Georgia. In Alpharetta, over 150 traffic control devices are connected. Applied Information has signed similar agreements in Texas and Hawaii, where the two companies are cooperating in similar deployments. During the Alpharetta pilot, the system will activate a signal preemption function which transfers the normal operation of the traffic control devices to a mode of operation which gives the right of way to emergency vehicles such as ambulances and firefighting vehicles, while all other traffic is brought safely to a halt.

Bryan Mulligan, president of Applied Information (left) and Yuval Lachman, VP of business development at Autotalks
Bryan Mulligan, president of Applied Information (left) and Yuval Lachman, VP of business development at Autotalks

As a result, these vehicles can arrive to their destination earlier and have better chances to save lives. The deployment is expected to include other use cases beyond emergency vehicles, such as transit bus priority, red light running alerts and “get ready for green” message to make traffic move more safely and efficiently through signalized intersections.

“Our work is another proof that the auto industry is determined not to wait until the US regulator will decide which V2X technology to deploy. Whether C-V2X or DSRC is selected, there is a move to deploy agnostic technologies,” said Yuval Lachman, VP of business development at Autotalks. “The AI/Autotalks solution enables roadway operators to confidently deploy V2X technology today,” said Bryan Mulligan, president of Applied Information.

Autotalks to provide more than 1 Million C-V2X Chips for a new Chinese Car

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The Israeli fabless Autotalks, announced that its chipset was selected for a mass production C-V2X program in China. Techtime has learned that the company will provide more than 1 million communication chipsets, to be embedded in the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) built by a top Tier-1 automotive provider. This is the biggest commercial design win of Autotalks, and one of the biggest connected car projects in China.

The unidentified Chinese car producer plans to build more than million connected cars, and to sell them in the local market. They will be able to connect with each other via the cellular networks, and wherever available, to connect with the local connected road infrastructures. The company said that the selection of its chipset for the project followed rigorous testing and evaluation that proved  it radio performance, security, thermal resiliency and transmit diversity.

It also followed a long process of adapting Autotalks’ products to the Chinese regulations, which was culminated in October 2019, when Autotalks successfully showcased its chipset’s conformance to the Chinese C-V2X standard and its OSCCA-compliant security requirements during interoperability demonstration in a multi-brand C-V2X environment.

This demo brought together 20 automotive companies, including leading automakers ,with 50 demonstration teams to examine how they are working together in a close-to-real-world setting. Autotalks’ C-V2X chipset was used by five different automakers: Renault-Nissan, Brilliance Auto, FAW, Great Wall and another major European OEM.

“This important win is a clear testimony to the trust that leading OEMs and Tiers put in Autotalks, as a global V2X chipset provider,” said Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks. According to the research firm IHS Markit, China is expected to lead the global V2X market, with an estimated 629,000 light vehicles produced in the region equipped with C-V2X technology in 2020, and the country is expected to stay in the lead through 2024.