Photo: Cavnue
Self-driving vehicles are supposed to make the road safer at some point in the future, eliminating people’s mistakes. Unfortunately, the automated driving systems of today are still in driving school and appear to remain there for a long time, unless some breakthrough happens. Cavnue is a startup that proposes a different path to self-driving than most carmakers today.
Unlike Tesla, Ford, or GM, Cavnue does not aim to develop automated driving systems that can drive in normal traffic. Instead, it wants the cars to become more like trains, only without rails. Connected and automated vehicles (CAV) will move quickly and safely while maintaining awareness of one other thanks to their vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure capabilities.
The problem is that most cars on the road today are not aware of them, so they risk bumping into other, unsuspecting cars driven by real people. To prevent this, Cavnue advocates for creating a “connected corridor” dedicated to self-driving vehicles. On this CAV avenue (hence the name of the company) the vehicles will be able to drive faster and closer to one another than humans are capable, thanks to their constant communication with other vehicles.
The technology can be implemented on today’s roads only by separating autonomous vehicles from those driven by humans. That’s exactly what Cavnue wants to do in Michigan and for this, it works with the Michigan Department of Transport to build a lane dedicated to self-driving cars along a 25-mile stretch of I-94. The proposed corridor stretches between Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The experience that Cavnue will gain on this stretch of road will be used on other segments of roads in the future. Eventually, if proved successful, the system will be expanded across the country. Cavnue raised $130 million in the most recent round of funding, Ford being among its backers. It’s only natural that the startup will use Ford vehicles and Ford’s Argo AI automated driving system for the experiment.
Cavnue will also work with Ford to establish an industry standard for interconnecting automated vehicles. This includes the definition of messages, sensing requirements, and protocols. Cavnue also works with other carmakers, like General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Stellantis, and Toyota.
The problem is that most cars on the road today are not aware of them, so they risk bumping into other, unsuspecting cars driven by real people. To prevent this, Cavnue advocates for creating a “connected corridor” dedicated to self-driving vehicles. On this CAV avenue (hence the name of the company) the vehicles will be able to drive faster and closer to one another than humans are capable, thanks to their constant communication with other vehicles.
The technology can be implemented on today’s roads only by separating autonomous vehicles from those driven by humans. That’s exactly what Cavnue wants to do in Michigan and for this, it works with the Michigan Department of Transport to build a lane dedicated to self-driving cars along a 25-mile stretch of I-94. The proposed corridor stretches between Detroit and Ann Arbor.
The experience that Cavnue will gain on this stretch of road will be used on other segments of roads in the future. Eventually, if proved successful, the system will be expanded across the country. Cavnue raised $130 million in the most recent round of funding, Ford being among its backers. It’s only natural that the startup will use Ford vehicles and Ford’s Argo AI automated driving system for the experiment.
Cavnue will also work with Ford to establish an industry standard for interconnecting automated vehicles. This includes the definition of messages, sensing requirements, and protocols. Cavnue also works with other carmakers, like General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Stellantis, and Toyota.
Cavnue – The future of roads from Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners on Vimeo.
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