AVs light up V2I test in New South Wales

In the Australian city of Sydney, two self-driving vehicles are in use as part of a live test of Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) technology, testing the new software called Cit-e.

The autonomous vehicles travel on the streets of Chippendale, south of the city centre, interacting via a wireless connection with traffic lights equipped with Transport for NSW's Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (Scats).

As vehicles approach the traffic lights, Cit-e sends messages about the course of the intersection, right of way, the timing of traffic light changes and warnings about hazards, such as vulnerable road users.

Based on this information, a receiver in the vehicle can estimate whether a red light violation or a danger to other road users is to be expected, taking into account the position, direction of travel and speed of the vehicle.

The trial is a joint project: the vehicles were developed by the Australian Centre for Robotics at the University of Sydney and tested at Transport for NSW's Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre in Cudal.

The iMove Cooperative Research Centre for research and development in the field of transport and mobility is also involved alongside the New South Wales government. According to the centre, Scats has now been installed at over 63,000 intersections in 216 cities in 32 countries.

The Cit-e software can be retrofitted into standard vehicles and transport infrastructure and could be commercially launched as early as 2025.

“As cars become smarter, there is an opportunity to make them safer and save lives on New South Wales’ roads,” said Roads Minister John Graham.

“This innovative technology will put NSW at the forefront of the national discussion on smart vehicle innovation and road safety. In addition to the safety benefits, this technology will also reduce traffic congestion as communication between cars and infrastructure will enable the variation of green phases to shorten long queues.”

New South Wales Transport Minister Josh Murray said: “While this is a real-world test of cutting-edge technology, at its core it is an extension of Transport's SCATs offering – a New South Wales Government innovation. These new trials will help us understand the challenges and demonstrate the feasibility of adopting new technologies so we can integrate them into our daily network operations.”