Researchers at Cranfield University have developed a project using AI and vehicle-to-vehicle communications designed to minimise deadly traffic accidents. With autonomous vehicles connected within a network, allowing for ongoing communication and cooperation, researchers are hoping to be able to deploy similar technologies in real-life conditions soon.

Utilising vehicle-to-vehicle communications and AI, the Multi-Car Collision Avoidance (MuCCA) project recreated UK motorway traffic conditions in a testing environment. Sensors allowed the vehicles to recognise potential obstacles, vehicles or obstructions, in their path. The vehicles were then able to respond appropriately by communicating with the other vehicles around it, leading to analysis of the various actions available and a collaborative decision between the vehicles. Overall, this resulted in fewer collisions.

Based on computer simulations which mimicked human driving behaviours, physical testing like this will go a long way to fully understanding the most common conditions of a multi-vehicle accident and subsequent development of appropriate solutions.

Advancements such as these could alter the transportation industry and potentially save many lives. However, the rise of research and development into autonomous vehicles rests primarily on the ability of vehicles to securely communicate with each other and other devices – otherwise known as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. Without assurance that these communications are accurate and impervious as possible to cyberattacks, nefarious actors could easily disrupt the systems autonomous vehicles rely on to run safely.

Vehicles today, even those that are not autonomous, have an increasing number of sensors, devices and other links that connect it to external networks. If the attack surface of a normal car today is growing, the points of entry into an autonomous vehicle are not only extensive but also critical. As research and development into autonomous vehicles continues, safety cannot be ensured unless several layers of security are properly implemented.

Angoka has several security solutions designed with autonomous vehicles in mind, not only protecting communications from cyberattacks but ultimately safeguarding potential future passengers. For more information on how we secure V2V and V2X communications, click here.

It is becoming clear that autonomous vehicles will constitute much of the future of transportation. Hopefully, with security and safety in mind, they can substantially lower the rate of collisions – or potentially make accidents a thing of the past.