On January 17, Hyundai Mobis and KT announced that they launched 5G communication in the Hyundai Mobis proving ground in Seosan, Chungcheongnam-do, and began to develop connected vehicle technology by actively utilizing this network. KT built the infrastructure in the Seosan proving ground so that Hyundai Mobis can aim to gain early advantage in leveraging the 5G-based connected vehicle technology.
Hyundai Mobis is the first domestic automotive parts maker to cooperate with a common carrier for development of the connected vehicle technology.
The two companies utilized the new 5G communication network to start developing the real-time navigation update technology and the Cellular Vehicle to X (C-V2X) technology, and they are planning to secure more related technologies by the end of this year.
When the traffic information collected by preceding vehicles is sent to the server, the navigation update technology reflects it on the map in real time and delivers it to the following vehicles. It is the core technology in the era of autonomous driving that enables safer and expedient driving by updating optimal driving routes.
The 4G network-based navigation programs currently offered by carriers and IT companies take several minutes to dozens of minutes to update the map and recalculate routes. Using a 5G network that is 100 times faster than 4G, it is possible to reflect traffic information in real time.
To this end, Hyundai Mobis is developing a technology that collects traffic information through the various sensors of M.Billy, its autonomous vehicle, and extracts key information that affects driving, and transmits it to the server. KT supports connection between the 5G terminals in M.Billy and the 5G communication base stations.
C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle to X) is a technology that uses mobile communication networks to share vast amounts of data in real time with the vehicle, infrastructure, other vehicles and pedestrians, and thus enhances the safety of autonomous driving. As for technical cooperation in this area, Hyundai Mobis will oversee the control system installed in vehicles, and KT is to develop the technology that uses the traffic information server and the infrastructure to deliver Korea Expressway Corporation information, traffic light information and sharp curve warnings to vehicles.
Starting with these technologies, Hyundai Mobis and KT are planning to expand their area of cooperation to the development of the connected vehicle technology. As the connected vehicle concept is emerging as the core technology of future automobile, the two companies will further strengthen their alliance and take the lead in developing innovative technologies that can propel the market.
The technological cooperation between the two companies, which possess global-caliber competitiveness in their respective areas, is raising expectations about future synergy potential. In particular, it is expected that they will be able to introduce world-class autonomous vehicle technology by combining the fast processing speed of 5G with instant responsiveness, high reliability and enduring utility.
“As the connected vehicle is completed with organic connections with the outside world, inter-industry cooperation to preoccupy related technologies is active in this area,” said Jang Jae-ho, head of the Electrical & Electronics R&D Center of Hyundai Mobis. “As we are working with a trustworthy partner, such as KT which retains not only world-class communication technologies, but also a high understanding of automobiles, we will be able to secure competitive connected vehicle technologies that can lead the global market.”