DENSO's "Talking Car" Technology Units Used in USDOT/UMTRI's Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot

--Year-long Safety Pilot Launches today in Ann Arbor, Mich.--

SOUTHFIELD, MI--Aug. 21, 2012: A world where cars talk with other cars and traffic signals is literally right around the corner. Today, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), in collaboration with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) kicked off a year-long Safety Pilot Model Deployment test vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) technology in Ann Arbor, Mich. And DENSO International America, Inc. (DIAM) is part of the action as one of the suppliers providing the "talking car" technology.

DENSO's Role in the Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot
DIAM is providing two types of dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) devices, which are the devices that allow vehicles to communicate or "talk" with other equipped vehicles and infrastructure. DENSO's two DSRC devices being tested are 1) An integrated original equipment device used on light vehicles, and 2) An aftermarket retrofit device equipped on light vehicles, heavy trucks and buses.

DENSO has been working on Connected Vehicle, or what we call V2X technology since 2003, and one of our main focuses is on DSRC devices. The DSRC's primary function is to assess the surrounding environment based on accurate and precise data exchanges with other vehicle DSRC transceivers and roadside hotspots. The data exchanges include a vehicle's location, velocity, acceleration and path history, which can enable on board computers to predict trajectories and reduce the likelihood of collisions. That same data, along with additional information from the traffic signal, can also help drivers avoid running red lights and prevent crashes at controlled intersections (roadside hotspots).

USDOT Model Deployment
According to the USDOT, nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses equipped with "connected" Wi-Fi technology will enable vehicles and infrastructure to "talk" to each other in real time to help avoid crashes and improve traffic flow. This is the USDOT's second phase of the Connected Vehicle Safety pilot and, to date, is the largest road test of connected vehicle crash avoidance technology. 

DENSO believes V2X has the potential to revolutionize safety and convenience on our nation's roads. We anticipate deployment of Connected Vehicle technology in the U.S. in the next few years.

Click on this video to "see" a how Connected Vehicle technology can save your life, save you time and save you gas.