Are you ready for the future? In the next 15 years, the road infrastructure will be greatly developed, and the lighting technology will play an important role.

From improving drivers' awareness to dredging traffic flow, networked vehicle technology and road lighting will significantly affect the quality of transportation and drivers and pedestrians' safety. Jay Sachetti, the senior marketing manager for the networking community, Eaton illuminated the current status and future of the car networking and the role of road lighting.

What is the networked automobile technology?

The networked automobile technology can communicate with the car, the system infrastructure and the personal communication equipment, which has high security and interoperability. Some of the most advanced anti-collision technologies in the car now include vehicle sensors, cameras and radar applications. These technologies will remind drivers of the dangers that will happen so that the Department will take the opportunity to take corrective action, or the system can even intervene on its own.

What is the principle of its work?

Car to car (V2V) communication is another step to help remind the driver of danger. V2V communication uses vehicle specific short distance radio communication equipment to transmit and receive information, such as speed, direction and braking state of vehicle. Range and sight capacity will exceed the current system and, in some cases, reach a range of nearly two times. This long distance detection and the ability to observe corners or surrounding vehicles through other vehicles can help vehicles equipped with V2V communication detect some threats earlier and remind drivers accordingly.

Networked automotive technology can also allow cars to exchange information on infrastructure (such as traffic signals or road lighting) through V2I communications (vehicles to infrastructure). In addition to providing security advantages to networked cars, V2I communications also provide mobility. The standardization of this vehicle data will be used in the future for the real adaptive control system for road lighting and traffic lights.

At present, federal and local government officials are trying to implement the Internet. The Michigan State Department of Communications (DOT) is testing the first networking workspace on a I-75 highway in southern Detroit. Michigan Department of transportation (DOT) hopes to remind some drivers of information, including information about whether the staff is present, what type of homework they are doing, and when to start. The United States Department of transport is also testing the technology in three places, such as New York, Tampa and Wyoming.

How will the networked lighting technology continue to change our path?

Traffic lights, road signs and reminder signs on construction sites will soon become part of the networked ecosystem, providing and receiving information to make driving more smoothly.

All traffic lights are different at the same time. Drivers sometimes don't understand whether they can pass the yellow light before they dredge the traffic, or turn to the signal if they are activated. But when traffic lights communicate with the car, the driver can make a safer decision.

"V2I will really play the function of sensing technology lighting," Sachetti said. The distance between the road lights is usually 30 meters to 90 meters, and the height of the installation is generally 6 meters to 12 meters. This provides a favorable position for all aspects, from the intersection to the hilly area, thus facilitating the continuous V2I communication. "

Vehicle data points, including speed, location, ambient light level and road friction, as well as humidity, temperature and road reflectivity, will be input into the electric lighting and management system (ELMS). ELMS will dynamically adjust or adaptively control the light level on the road. "These data points can ensure the safety of pedestrians and drivers, reminding the drivers of the red light and even the animals across the street," Sachetti said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) predicts that through V2V and V2I, we can eliminate or reduce more than 80% of the severity of non damaged traffic accidents, including traffic accidents at crossroads or lane changing. The Internet lighting technology will play a major role in the future.