Kansai Transmission and Distribution, Inc., Fujikura, and the others Fujikura succeeds in 60 GHz band high-speed communication experiment in safe driving support demonstration using local bus

Fujikura has succeeded in high-speed vehicle-to-infrastructure communication^*1 using an electric pole and 60 GHz millimeter-wave wireless communications modules in a demonstration of safe driving support. The demonstration was conducted in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, for four days from March 15 to 18, 2021, in corporation with Kansai Transmission and Distribution, Inc., KYOCERA Corporation, Shinki bus Co., Ltd., Panasonic System Networks R&D Lab. Co., Ltd. and Magellan Systems Japan, Inc.
The demonstration was performed to confirm the effectiveness of the safe driving support system for local bus services by vehicle-to-infrastructure communication using an electric pole and by vehicle-to-vehicle communication^*2 with bicycles at intersections with poor visibility without traffic lights. This safe driving support demonstration using a local bus in service was the first of its kind in Japan.
In this demonstration, Fujikura installed a communication device equipped with the module on both electric poles and a local bus to establish a wideband wireless connection between the two. By using the wireless connection, the module has successfully uploaded in-vehicle camera images in real time and also has transmitted the GNSS (global navigation satellite system) correction data^*3 necessary for high-precision vehicle positioning which is required for supporting safe driving.
Our module is featuring world-class high communication speed (max3.5Gbps) and long-distance transmission capability (>500 m). We are accelerating our studies of applying this technology not only to fixed communications but also to various V2X (vehicle-to-everything)^*4 systems to be incorporated in transportation-related vehicles, construction/work vehicles, and AGVs (automatic guided vehicles)^*5 used in factories.

Explanation of terms

*1 Vehicle-to-infrastructure communication: Two-way communication between the vehicle and the communication equipment installed on the road designed to offer various driving assistance
*2 Vehicle-to-vehicle communication: Two-way communication between vehicles designed to offer various driving assistance
*3 GNSS (global navigation satellite system) correction data: The positioning data is transmitted to mobile stations via radio or internet from reference stations on the ground after the reference stations calculate corrections of errors due to satellite clock drift and ionospheric delay. This results in centimeter-level positioning accuracy.
*4 V2X (Vehicle-to-everything): Vehicular communication to exchange data by interconnecting automobiles with automobiles, people, and networks
*5 AGV (Automatic guided vehicle): Unpiloted conveyance vehicle used for industrial purposes

Figure 1：60 GHz millimeter-wave wireless communications device used for Himeji City safe driving support demonstration