Researchers design a new system to make overtaking safer on highways

The application has been developed by researchers at the Group of Computer Networks of the Department of Computer Engineering (DISCA, in Spanish) of the UPV. "In scenes where overtaking entails a critical traffic manoeuvre, such as on two-way highways, low visibility lanes or in situations with large vehicles, this is a safety system able to help to reduce the number of accidents. Since it provides real time information, it allows the driver to make the decision to start overtaking at the right time," says Juan Carlos Cano, researcher at the Group of Computer Networks of the Department of Computer Engineering of the UPV.

EYES runs totally autonomously and with no driver intervention. When different validation tests are checked in order to guarantee the direction of the vehicles, the application receives and shows in real time, on the tablet or smartphone, the video of the highway seen by one of the vehicles that precedes us. Thus, it provides the driver further information to decide the best moment to overtake in low visibility situations.

For image transmission, EYES uses a system based on Wi-Fi technology, which establishes point-to-point connections between several vehicles in way that is very clear for the user. Thus, it does not depend on the use of 4G cellular communications systems.

"EYES provides a better vision of the highway and every vehicle travelling in the opposite direction. And it is particularly useful when large vehicles block the frontal view of the driver, so it could reduce the risk of accidents. It is an innovative system that could be within anyone's reach," explains Juan Carlos Cano, researcher at the Group of Computer Networks of the Department of Computer Engineering of the UPV.

Together with Juan Carlos Cano, Subhadeep Patra, Carlos T. Calafate and Pietro Manzoni, all from the Group of Computer Networks of the Department of Computer Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de València, have also collaborated in the development of the system.

The team of researchers of the UPV presented this work the last week at the "International Conference on Ad Hoc Networks and Wireless (ADHOC-NOW 2015), held in Athens.