Ford and Qualcomm partner on developing tech to connect cars with each other

Ford and Qualcomm announced a partnership at the CES'18 that could see the companies to develop technology that could connect cars to each other to tackle traffic and ease the congestion around the world.

Ford wants to equip all its cars with C-V2X (cellular vehicle to everything technology). The new technology is a co-operative safety technology, allowing pedestrians, vehicles, and cyclists to collaborate in situations of distress. Connecting cars to each other and to other devices can help improve traffic flow in dense areas by coordinating the movement of vehicles.

In a blog post, Don Butler, Ford executive director of connected vehicle services, said the company will be validating Qualcomm's technology in its vehicles, an early stage that could lead to a production release. And although the initial technology will use current 4G cellular, Qualcomm is currently readying rollout of 5G cellular, and V2X for Ford would be included.

He further added "Connected cars could be rerouted around cities to avoid traffic jams. They could detect that a driver or a passenger is in distress and take necessary action. They could also receive signals from a hidden pedestrian's mobile phone in order to avoid a collision."

The automaker said in its blog post, "Working with Qualcomm Technologies to develop C-V2X not only supports our current slate of products and the systems being built to power us in the years to come, it gives us the flexibility to adapt and ensures we all remain connected as our future inches closer."