State-supported Industrial Technology Research Institute won silver in the Transportation and Logistics category at the Edison Awards April 4 in New York for its innovative iRoadSafe traffic accident prevention system.
ITRI’s iRoadSafe integrates vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, microwave radar, roadside sensing and changeable message sign technologies to detect moving objects on the street and provide real-time alerts. The system, which does not require onboard unit (OBU) installation, is billed as the world’s first vehicle-to-everything, or V2X, solution.
According to Chiueh Tzi-cker, ITRI vice president and general director of its Information and Communications Research Laboratories, the system meets emerging demand in the smart transportation sector and can play a vital role in advancing vehicular communication and autonomous driving technology.
Chiang Tsun-chieh, director of ICRL’s Telematics and Vehicular Control System division, said that iRoadSafe offers a viable solution for secondhand cars by overcoming the OBU requirement. “We will continue to refine its design based on user needs and market demands, making it applicable in more cities around the world,” he added.
During their trip to the U.S. to receive the honor, the ITRI team also met with Mohamad Talas, deputy director of Systems Engineering/Traffic Operations for the New York City Department of Transportation, to exchange experiences in implementing and improving vehicular communications.
Founded in 1973, ITRI fosters innovation-driven sectors in Taiwan, with recent research endeavors focusing on such fields as quality health, smart cities and sustainable development. It has helped incubate over 270 high-tech companies, including global integrated circuit powerhouse Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Named for renowned U.S. inventor Thomas A. Edison, the awards, established in 1987, recognize excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design and innovation. This year’s medalists were chosen by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives and spanned such fields as artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, medicine and robotics. (HC-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw