How does C  V2X technology work? Required for port connection

A communication between an autonomous vehicle at a dock and a ship can save time. This translates into efficiency and automation that could lighten tasks such as loading and unloading ships. It remains to be seen what functions can be improved in this way, but one of the key elements to test all of this is the C V2X wireless connection.

Cellular V2X or C V2X is a communications protocol that allows communication between all network elements. The usual thing in autonomous cars is V2V (vehicle to vehicle) communication, so that they understand each other and do not get in the way. But the X gives a new dimension to the network. In this case, it is about the vehicle being able to also talk to the infrastructure, with fixed sensors and IoT devices.

The C, for its part, refers to the fact that the V2X wireless connection occurs over a mobile network. Keep in mind that it could also be supported by WiFi connection, in a limited space. However, the advantage of 5G is that it allows you to create a V2X network that can span a wide area.

Hence, some ports are already testing the use of 5G in their facilities. The port sector has a series of needs that can be met with connectivity. The establishment of more efficient routes within the port or the creation of a real time control system for all operations are two aspects in which port facilities can improve.

The 5G wireless connection in the ports

The cases of the use of 5G in port activity are multiple. The port of Hamburg, in Germany, contemplates the use of technology for traffic management within the facilities. And, furthermore, to include new formulas for sending packages, such as operate drones to reach a ship before it makes landfall or to save small but complicated distances to cover the obstacles of the docks.

5G and the C V2X wireless connection have the potential to create more efficient operations, but also to offer new services. And this could lead to new business models within the port’s own industrial environment. 4G, however, cannot support the connectivity of autonomous vehicles, which need minimal latency to drive. Neither is the sending of information in real time from multiple IoT devices, necessary for the precision of movements.

Some of the pilots that have been launched, in this case in the same port of Hamburg, are aimed at remote control of driverless vehicles. These are loading and unloading, tasks that sometimes entail a certain risk for the staff. Actually, this is the beginning in the use of robotics. Later, the introduction of assistance for driving and maneuvering vehicles of all kinds is planned. This would include the machinery that is currently used in the docks, but also possible drones and ships. In other words, automation is expected to advance in all directions.

At a general level, a 5G based network will allow the port to monitor its operations, its infrastructure and all its processes. The C V2X wireless connection allows all autonomous or assisted driving vehicles operating on premises to talk to IoT devices. All this will make it possible to create a global map of how the environment works and thus analyze possible inefficiencies. And it is that everything will be measured, from the machinery to the movement of merchandise or the mobility of vehicles.

Industrial and port traffic

Improving port security is another benefit that technology can bring. 5G and edge computing can be used to cconnect cranes and vehicles under the supervision of people. Some tasks can be robotized, in such a way that precision is gained when executing them.

The project in which APM Terminals, the Dutch port operator, Mobile World Capital and Telefónica collaborate, moves in these terms. In the port of Bilbao 5G and edge computing have been used to contribute to its decarbonization and digitization. A new real time vehicle and container identification and analysis system has been implemented. This allows to make the transport of goods more efficient and safe.

The main objective is the minimize the potential risk of collisions between mobile machinery, fixed elements of the infrastructure and people. To control this risk, a system has been put into operation that coordinates port traffic thanks to the implementation of algorithms developed for the prevention of accidents in this area.

C V2X communication is a key element to minimize claims. And it is because all the actors in the system can communicate their position in real time. 5G allows for very low latency levels, which is essential for the algorithms to work. The project deals with adapt autonomous car technology to industrial environments. In this case to the ports. C V2X allows you to connect the physical elements of the environment with virtual models that reside on the network, to improve decision making or even automate some of them.

This is a project that the company presents within the framework of the celebration of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona under the slogan Transformation is Now. A place where all the proposals related to connectivity, 5G, connected industry or sustainability will be shared.