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Consumer Electronics Daily News Thursday, January 10, 2019 4 4 Bosch and Veniam Ensure Seamless Vehicle-to-Everything Connectivity What is true for people is also true for cars: communication works best with a common language and a good connec- tion. To enable connected and automated driving in the future, vehicles must be able to easily communicate with one another as well as with their surround- ings. There is currently no globally stan- dardized technical basis for this exchange of data, which is known as vehicle-to-everything communication, or V2X. Instead, vehicles will in the future communicate using the wide variety of different standards implemented by countries and vehicle manufacturers around the world. "Bosch is taking a multi-standard approach when it comes to V2X. We have developed a universal connectivity unit capable of communi- cating using all of the transmission stan- dards implemented in connected automo- biles," says Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, Member of the Board of Management at Robert Bosch GmbH. The neat thing here is that Bosch has combined connectivity units and telematics units, which – individual- ly – are only capable of a single transmis- sion technology, to create an all-in-one central control unit for V2X data commu- nication. Cars can then use the Wi-Fi net- works available in cities, while elsewhere they can communicate using, for instance, cellular networks. The complex task of managing these diverse commu- nication options is handled by a software solution from the Silicon Valley-based start-up Veniam. It continuously searches for the best transmission technology that suits the particular requirements and switches automatically between the available alternatives. The software therefore maintains continuous and seamless vehicle connectivity, ensuring cars can, for example, reliably alert one another to accidents and passengers can enjoy uninterrupted music streaming. Bosch develops a connectivity unit for all standards. It is expected that the number of connect- ed vehicles on the roads in Europe, the United States and China alone will exceed 470 million by 2025 (source: PwC). Initially, most vehicles will connect direct- ly to the cloud; but, thanks to V2X, increasing numbers of vehicles will in future also be able to communicate direct- ly with one another as well as with traffic signals, road construction sites, pedestrian crossings and buildings, etc. They will then be able to alert one another to poten- tial hazards like the approaching tail end of a traffic jam, accidents and icy condi- tions. Vehicles will also be able to take advantage of the green wave, because they will know when the next set of traffic lights is going to turn green. The vehicles can then adjust their speed accordingly. This ensures the traffic, particularly in cities, flows more smoothly. There is, however, no globally harmonized stan- dard for V2X communication currently on the horizon. While China primarily uses Cellular-V2X technology (C-V2X), which is based on mobile communications, Europe and the United States are planning to additionally introduce transmission standards based on Wi-Fi (DSRC and ITS-G5) alongside C-V2X. A mishmash of standards is therefore emerging interna- tionally, which may lead to vehicle com- munication issues. However, that will not be the case in the future when cars are equipped with the universal connectivity unit from Bosch. Equipped vehicles will be able to communicate with one another as well as with their surroundings regard- less of the vehicle make or the country in which they are used. This will make V2X communication even more secure and reliable. "Thanks to Bosch's all-in-one principle for connected vehicles, as many drivers as possible around the world can benefit from the added safety, comfort and convenience provided by V2X," says Dirk Hoheisel. Software ensures the best connection. The software from Veniam is the connec- tion enhancer for the connectivity unit from Bosch. As well as keeping an eye on which V2X communication technologies are currently available for use, the soft- ware also closely monitors the costs and data transmission latency of each alterna- tive connection option, since not every technology is suitable in every situation. For example, when it comes to alerting a driver to another vehicle that is about to pull out in front of them from a side street, every millisecond counts. This kind of critical information must be communicat- ed in real time using highly reliable tech- nology that is always ready for use – even if that means the resulting data transmis- sion costs are greater. Software updates from the cloud or a navigation system map update, on the other hand, can be put on hold in that sort of situation until a low-cost stationary Wi-Fi network becomes available. Large volumes of data can be transmitted via Wi-Fi in a short space of time, though a downside is that public or home Wi-Fi hotspots are not always available. Veniam's software is familiar with the pros and cons of each of the communication types and always establishes the optimal connection. "The unique combination of Veniam's smart networking software and Bosch's connec- tivity unit boosts the vehicle's data-han- dling capacities dramatically, paving the way for innovative cloud services and much safer future mobility," says João Barros, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Veniam. On the occasion of the world's biggest consumer electronics trade show, CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Bosch and Veniam have been selected as CES 2019 Innovation Award Honorees in the "Vehicle Intelligence and Self- Driving Technology" category for their jointly developed solution. Bosch tests V2X in Europe, the United States and China. In the biggest European field trial to date (simTD, Safe Intelligent Mobility – Test Field Germany), V2X communication has proven its suitability for daily use under everyday conditions and in lab sim- ulations. Bosch has played a significant role in this joint project. Since February 2017, Bosch, Vodafone and Huawei have been performing trials of the V2X com- munication with the first 5G test modules − the first companies in Europe to do so. The A9 freeway in Bavaria north of Munich is the location for the field tests, which focus on real-time warning sys- tems during lane changing maneuvers on the freeway or in case the vehicle in front brakes suddenly. V2X will also be able to make driver assistance functions even more comfortable, like adaptive cruise control (ACC). In the summer of 2018, Bosch tested secure, direct communica- tion between vehicles and roadside infra- structure, cameras and sensors in Detroit. The test showcased Wi-Fi-based DSRC technology, where equipped vehicles were provided with in-vehicle notifica- tions about the status of traffic signals ahead and pedestrians crossing the street – functions designed to enhance safety in city traffic. ESCRYPT, a subsidiary in the Bosch Group, provided the cybersecurity technologies behind these V2X demon- strations. In China, Bosch is testing ad hoc communication using Wi-Fi as well as cellular technology. The tests are focusing on alerts that help the driver when overtaking or negotiating complex intersections. About Bosch Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector. In 2017, its sales came to 47.4 billion euros, or 61 percent of total group sales. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automo- tive suppliers. The Mobility Solutions business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is accident-free, emissions- free and stress-free, and combines the group's expertise in the domains of automation, electrification and connec- tivity. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The busi- ness sector's main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated func- tions, technology for user-friendly info- tainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communi- cation, repair-shop concepts and technol- ogy and services for the automotive after- market. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP anti-skid system and common-rail diesel technology. The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 402,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2017). The company generated sales of 78.1 billion euros in 2017. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT company, Bosch offers innovative solu- tions for smart homes, smart cities, con- nected mobility and connected manufac- turing. It uses its expertise in sensor tech- nology, software and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers con- nected, cross-domain solutions from a sin- gle source. The Bosch Group's strategic objective is to deliver innovations for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is "Invented for life." The Bosch Group com- prises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch's global manufacturing, engineering and sales network covers near- ly every country in the world. The basis for the company's future growth is its innova- tive strength. At 125 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 64,500 associ- ates in research and development. About Veniam Veniam is accelerating future mobility by delivering intelligent networking soft- ware for connected cars and autonomous vehicles. With an IP portfolio of more than 160 patents, Veniam's data network- ing platform makes the most out of all available networks to improve quality of service and reduce the costs of moving massive amounts of data between vehi- cles and the cloud. Working closely with the world's largest Auto OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, Veniam aims to improve the lives of millions of people by securely managing the data flows of a new and emerging mobility ecosystem – the Internet of Moving Things – where vehi- cles move people and goods efficiently but also expand Internet coverage, deliv- er new human experiences and gather valuable data for smart city applications. Named by CNBC and NASDAQ as one of the 50 most disruptive companies in the world, Veniam is a global company with its headquarters in Mountain View, California, Engineering Center in Porto, Portugal and sales offices in Detroit, Munich and Tokyo. "Molex is proud to have its Automotive Ethernet Platform recog- nized by Autonomous Vehicle Technology magazine as one of the year's most noteworthy technological achievements in the fast-changing autonomous vehicle development space," said Bill Fitzer, Global Vice President and General Manager, Connected Mobility Solutions, Molex. "With our extensive expertise in high-speed data transmission, prioritization, scalability and security, Molex is committed to developing next-generation solutions for our connected mobility customers." Winners of the inaugural AVT ACES Molex (Cont'd. from p. 37) Awards were selected based on editor, industry expert and reader inputs. BNP Media launched AVT in April 2017 as the first brand dedicated to cov- ering the connectivity, advanced elec- tronics, mobility services and collabora- tion that will comprise the age of autono- my. In addition to a monthly print maga- zine, AVT distributes a twice-monthly e- newsletter and operates autonomousvehi- cletech.com to equip its audience with sophisticated, authoritative coverage of the news and events that affect and shape the future of autonomous and related new mobility technology. For more information, visit www.molex.com.