IAV and Microsoft Collaborate, Showcase Traffic Safety Technology at CES

Microsoft and IAV have teamed up to create a sensor that they say detects things that cameras and radar can't "see." How is this possible? By using Azure cloud and Windows 10 to enable communication with smartphones or a connected wearable like the Microsoft Band 2 and a connected stop light, the system can tell where those hidden pedestrians are located.

IAV and Microsoft will be demonstrating a connected highly automated driving (CHAD) vehicle capable of connecting with the Microsoft Azure cloud and Windows 10 to enable communication that helps prevent vehicle and pedestrian accidents and increases driving comfort and convenience. This new, innovative vehicle-2-x communication (V2X) connectivity approach uses data from the vehicle's surroundings to improve smart service for convenience and enhance safety by anticipating and mitigating potential hazards.

It is called V2I (infrastructure, being the X in microsoft's case) by communicating with traffic lights, cloud computing systems, traffic cameras, networked map a "sensor" could in theory see everything that is connected. It is the only real way an automated car can work in all weather conditions. Trying to use computer vision to visually decipher something as simple as what the state of an intersection is when the light can just tell the car directly is huge.

Of course the big downside to V2I is that your roads and traffic lights need to be "smart" and connected themselves. The cost to upgrade every road to allow for total car automation in all weather conditions would be intense. Also V2V is required so that all weather self driving is possible and cars can then platoon on highways. (Non-self driving cars will need a transponder license plate or something like that)

Right now everything is basically using passive self contained sensing when you could just use active radio tags and networked systems. This does of course mean you can finally hack the traffic network can cause cars to run a light/person over.