1735 Information Sensors Installed Along 151km in Seoul... SKT Connects Traffic Infrastructure with 5G

SKT Completes Seoul City C-ITS Demonstration Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Seol Gina] SK Telecom announced on the 8th that it plans to soon begin commercializing the next-generation intelligent transportation system ‘C-ITS (Cooperative-Intelligent Transport Systems),’ which connects all vehicles, pedestrians, and traffic infrastructure in Seoul via 5G.

Seoul’s C-ITS, which started in early 2019, is approaching the end of its demonstration project by the end of this month. SK Telecom, together with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, has been carrying out ▲installation of 5G sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices on major city roads ▲equipping city buses and taxis with 5G ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) ▲establishing autonomous driving testbeds.

On the 12th, Seoul will introduce the achievements of the C-ITS demonstration project at the Sangam Esplex Center and hold an experience event with connected buses and autonomous vehicles at the established autonomous driving testbed.

◆ Over 67 million daily ‘traffic safety information’ provided from 1,735 5G sensors

By completing this C-ITS demonstration project, SK Telecom has introduced the world’s first 5G-based V2X (vehicle to everything) technology, which enables vehicles to exchange information with other vehicles, pedestrians, and various traffic-related infrastructure ahead of the autonomous driving era.

To this end, 1,735 5G sensors were installed on major roads and traffic signals spanning 151 km, mainly along the central bus lanes in Seoul, allowing real-time monitoring of various traffic situations in the city.

SK Telecom stated that information collected through IoT sensors is sent as alerts averaging daily ▲43 million related to pedestrian signals and pedestrian approach ▲5.8 million related to potholes ▲520,000 related to bus stop congestion, helping drivers to drive safely.

Additionally, various traffic-related information totaling 67 million daily cases, such as location-based traffic information, dangerous zones, pedestrian approach at illegal crossings, tunnel accident information, and detection of passing in overtaking lanes, is provided to public transportation drivers participating in the demonstration project.

Services such as notifying the traffic light color at upcoming intersections and the remaining green light time in seconds have also been implemented.

◆ 5G ADAS installed on 1,700 public transport vehicles upgrades road traffic

Seoul and SK Telecom have installed and are operating 5G ADAS and dedicated terminals on 1,600 city buses and 100 taxis for the V2X demonstration project between vehicles and traffic infrastructure beyond roads and traffic signals.

5G ADAS is a system that assists drivers’ safe driving by providing lane departure warnings, forward collision prevention, and more. Through the Seoul C-ITS demonstration project, it has been integrated into public transportation to support safe bus and taxi use for Seoul citizens.

In particular, 5G ADAS uses vision technology to monitor 124 types of road traffic information in real time, including signs, road markings, construction information, and potholes. AI analyzes this data in the cloud and reflects it in the ‘HD map (high-definition map),’ a core infrastructure for the autonomous driving era.

SK Telecom expects that by utilizing AI and cloud technology to quickly and accurately identify real-time road damage information and provide it to Seoul, it will contribute to enhancing the safety of the city’s traffic environment.

◆ Accelerating ecosystem creation for the autonomous driving era by opening testbeds

SK Telecom, together with Seoul, has established an autonomous cooperative driving testbed in Sangam DMC and is freely opening it to industry, academia, and research sectors to accelerate the creation of a related ecosystem. It will be available for general citizens to experience at the 2021 Seoul Smart Mobility Expo held from the 10th to the 12th.

Traffic signal and safety information obtained through C-ITS is being provided via 5G to private navigation service providers, and a related platform is being built to enable these providers to deliver this information to their users in real time. This platform is expected to be completed within 2022.

SK Telecom views the completion of this demonstration project as a foundation for the full-scale 5G-based autonomous driving demonstrations in the future.

Shin Yong-sik, head of SK Telecom’s IoT CO (Company), said, “The Seoul C-ITS demonstration project will be the starting line for Korea’s mobility to evolve based on 5G,” adding, “We will continue to prepare for the autonomous driving era with world-class 5G technology.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.