With its speed up to ten times higher than that of 4G and its low latency time, of the order of milliseconds, 5G offers a large number of use cases to the automotive world. If we spontaneously think of autonomous vehicles, the latest wireless communications standard can, more generally, lead to the emergence of new connected mobility services.
By allowing vehicles to connect with each other and with road infrastructure in real time, 5G can improve traffic flow, improve safety and reduce the carbon footprint of our travels. These are the main areas that the automotive and telecoms sectors are exploring as part of the 5G Open Road project.
Initiated in April 2022, this project brings together 16 industrialists including automobile manufacturers and equipment suppliers (Renault, Stellantis, Valeo), telecoms players (Bouygues Telecom, Nokia), ESNs (Capgemini, Smile), pioneers in the field of vehicles autonomous (Milla, Goggo Network, TwinsHeel) or road signaling (Lacroix) and research institutes and test centers (Cerema, UTAC, Systematic).
Nearly 90 million euros will be invested in this program, which is expected to last until 2024. It is financed by the government as part of the Future Investment Program (PIA). As its name suggests, the 5 Open Road project is the only one in Europe to conduct its experiments on an open road, on the Paris-Saclay campus and in an urban area in Yvelines (Versailles Grand Parc, Vélizy, Saint-Quentin-en -Yvelines…).
The 5g Open Road project published, at the beginning of October, a Call for Expressions of Interest (AMI) aimed at startups, SMEs, large groups or academic stakeholders. The first component, supported by Nokia Bell Labs, aims to capitalize on the 2.6 GHz private 5G network platform installed in the Polytechnique district in Palaiseau. The second aims to experiment with new use cases.
Reduce the risk of collisions at intersections
Already, major use cases are emerging. The first concerns the collaborative search for parking spaces. Thanks to their sensors, connected vehicles continuously detect the number of free spaces and their locations. Thanks to this pooling, the driver who wishes to park sees the area with available spaces displayed on his screen.
This use case has a direct impact on traffic flow and the reduction of carbon emissions. It can also allow a local authority to identify “suction cup” vehicles or vehicles stopped in prohibited areas.
To improve traffic flow and prevent dangers, 5G can also take into account exchanges between vehicles (V2V), between the vehicle and the road infrastructure (V2I) or between the vehicle and pedestrians (V2P).
This hyperconnectivity is of particular interest for road intersections. Highly accident-prone, they concentrate a large number of road users – cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, scooters, cyclists – in varied configurations – traffic lights, roundabouts, level crossings, etc.
Equipped with a set of sensors – camera, lidar, radar, etc. – a “smart” intersection makes it possible to secure and optimize the flow of people and vehicles, thus reducing the risks of collusion and favoring priority vehicles.
By monitoring movements in a virtual zone, geofencing makes it possible to adapt in real time the traffic regulation rules in the heart of the city and the so-called mixed mobility zones where traditional vehicles and means of soft mobility coexist. bicycle or scooter type.
Autonomous shuttles for transport and home delivery
By circulating numerous trucks and vans, retail and e-commerce players contribute to the congestion of hypercenters. 5G can help them favor more virtuous home delivery methods on the famous last mile by replacing traditional vehicles with remotely controlled droids, which are lighter and emit less CO2.
Last December, Carrefour and Goggo Network experimented with a “Drive Mobile” service using a fully autonomous delivery vehicle. He traveled on the public roads of the Saclay plateau, with heavy traffic and “ under normal conditions “. The customer unlocks his locker using a code that he has previously received by SMS. Once the orders have been collected, the shuttle returns to its starting point in Massy (91) awaiting its next tour.
Autonomous shuttles are also used to transport individuals. They replace public transport in areas not covered, offer longer timetables and can be booked on demand from a mobile application. This is what the Milla shuttle does every day in Vélizy. For 5 years, it has transported up to six people to the tram station.
“The whole challenge now is to travel at the speed of city traffic, in all circumstances, minimizing slowdowns in complex areas, by removing the safety operator who is on board », Explains the 5G Open Road project on its site.