Nissan, Savari Conduct Live V2X Test in Sunnyvale

Burney Simpson

Nissan North America and Savari have joined to operate a 4.6 square mile, real-world Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications testbed with three intersections in Sunnyvale, Calif.

The testbed is using the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) 5.8 GHz band for transmitting data between moving vehicles and fixed wireless infrastructure. The Federal Communications Commission set aside 75 MHz of the band for intelligent transportation systems.

Savari’s StreetWave road-side-units are deployed on Sunnyvale traffic poles and other infrastructure, while its MobiWave line of on-board-units are installed in vehicles.

The V2X technology is integrated with traffic controllers, allowing for communication between traffic signals and moving vehicles. The messaging is designed to tell drivers about upcoming congestion, traffic conditions, weather-related issues, and other roadway events.

The test began last August and is ongoing.

Savari and Nissan, which operates its Silicon Valley Research Center in Sunnyvale, are working on the project with the city and the University of California Berkeley Partners for Advanced Transportation Technology (PATH).

PATH deployed the StreetWave technology and coordinated the project with Sunnyvale and Nissan.

Nissan Research Director Dr. Maarten Sierhuis said the auto OEM is studying “how V2X technology can be used as additional sensor data by the autonomous system.”

Nissan is also reviewing how a “connected infrastructure and (artificial intelligence) can be used to optimize both route planning for an autonomous vehicle and traffic flow along the way,” Sierhuis said in a release.

Sunnyvale seeks to find if V2X communications can reduce congestion, cut fuel use, and improve safety. Its transportation department is using data from the test to prepare its traffic light intersections for fully autonomous vehicles.

Savari’s V2X deployments cover more than 130 public square miles of roadways, and its on-board-units have traveled nearly 1.5 million miles.

Nissan’s Silicon Valley Research Center focuses on vehicle intelligence technologies in autonomous and connected cars.