US tech companies invest in Australian ‘talking cars’ technology

Adelaide ‘car-to-car’ communications technology company Cohda Wireless has attracted a deal from Cisco Systems and NXP.

With this deal, Cohda Wireless will be able to advance its connected car communications and further extend its reach into the global automotive industry.

The decision by the two US technology giants to invest in the company is a coup for Cohda Wireless, which was founded in 2005 by a group of research scientists working at UniSA’s Institute for Telecommunications Research (ITR).

The company’s key patented technology, Dedicated Short Range Communications, is embedded in the receive side of an 802.11p radio and it has also developed complete software solutions (from network layer to applications) to run on this hardware.

The technology, which is currently being tested in major trials around the world in Germany, France, the US and Australia, effectively allows cars to ‘talk’ to each other and reduce or eliminate crashes through car-to-car data transmission that provides drivers with an audio or visual alert in the threat of an accident.

It is estimated by the US Department of Transport that these car-to-car technologies may address up to 82% of crash scenarios.

Car-to-infrastructure network communications will also capture real-time data from onboard technology to better manage transportation system congestion and maximise vehicles’ operating maintenance and fuel efficiency.

Bruce Tilbrook, ITEK Chief Financial Officer and Director of Cohda Wireless, said, “This investment from multibillion-dollar industry giants Cisco and NXP serves to validate the Cohda business model and its superior technology.

“In addition, Cohda also has commercial agreements with both Cisco and NXP providing global scale and strong channels to market its technology.”