Global mobility supplier Continental and Iteris Inc., a leader in smart mobility infrastructure management, have entered into a collaboration agreement to explore intelligent infrastructure solutions for communities across North America. With the goal of readying cities for advancements in connected and automated vehicle technologies, the partnership is designed to help ensure safer and more efficient mobility.
“Smart mobility is in our DNA at Continental and we are constantly improving and innovating solutions that help make roadways safer for all who use them. As we look to a future with more connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), the infrastructure will play a bigger role, demanding updates in sensing, connectivity and communication capabilities,” explained Murali Srinivasan, vice president, Passive Safety and Sensorics, Continental North America. “Our long and proven history in safety sensorics fits naturally with Iteris’ expertise in intelligent infrastructure management to deliver solutions that will contribute to greater environmental awareness and increased road user safety.”
The future-oriented traffic infrastructure collaboration will leverage automotive sensors and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) connectivity to make city transportation systems across North America more efficient, while supporting local and regional transportation agencies’ efforts to achieve their Vision Zero goals.
Information generated by the automotive sensors will be used to enable collective perception capabilities. In addition to sharing a connected vehicle’s location with other V2X-enabled devices, collective perception messaging enables that vehicle to also share what it senses – a pedestrian or car, for example – with the rest of its connected environment. The collaboration is focused on improving the current transportation infrastructure while working toward a more balanced, intelligent and optimized infrastructure that communicates seamlessly with the mobility ecosystem in the future thanks to expanded sensing capabilities.
“At Iteris, we are committed to helping public transportation agencies and our commercial partners achieve safe, efficient and sustainable mobility through the use of innovative technology, and advanced sensing and communications systems,” said Todd Kreter, senior vice president and general manager, Advanced Sensor Technologies at Iteris. “We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Continental, a pioneer of automotive safety and connected mobility technologies, to explore new intelligent infrastructure solutions that will help make roads safer, more efficient and sustainable, while readying cities and automotive OEMs for advancements in connected and automated vehicle technologies.”
“Historically, infrastructure and automotive development happened largely independent from one another. Our efforts will help blur that boundary, ensuring that sensor data can be used in new and important ways to create a fuller, real-time picture of a traffic situation,” Murali added.
In addition to offering more comfort and convenience to drivers, this safety-focused partnership can contribute to stronger V2X effectiveness – critical in reaching the goal of Vision Zero. The U.S. Department of Transportation states that V2X technology has the potential to address approximately 80 percent of unimpaired vehicle crashes. Roadway injuries and fatalities also impact people outside of vehicles. According to the National Safety Council, in the United States approximately 30 percent of all road fatalities are vulnerable road users, which include pedestrians, cyclists, scooters and motorcyclists. Continental and Iteris are committed to helping the mobility industry realize this potential.
