An app to reduce the number of pedestrians involved in collisions. Honda presents new technology that allows vehicles to communicate with nearby smartphones with the aim of warning them of imminent danger and alerting the driver to the presence of possible unexpected obstacles. In future this type of co-operative communication will spread to many vehicles moving in congested cities, including scooters and motorcycles.

Using a warning light on the pedestrian’s smartphone and an alarm sound, the pedestrian crossing the road or stepping off a curb from behind a parked vehicle is warned of imminent danger, even when visibility is poor. Likewise, drivers can also receive auditory or visual warnings directly inside their car. Honda has called the system V2P (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian) and V2M (Vehicle-to-Motorcycle). It uses dedicated short range communications technology which allows constant communication between vehicles and smartphones, thus mitigating the potential for an accident.

“While these are still experimental technologies, they provide a strong indication of the future potential for the kinds of advanced collision sensing and predictive technologies Honda is developing to further reduce the potential for serious accidents, injuries and even fatalities” said Jim Keller, chief engineer for Honda R&D Americas, Inc. “These V2P and V2M systems are part of Honda’s broad vision for smarter and safer vehicles and roadways.”

This system is being researched and tested in cooperation with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. No date has yet been fixed for its market launch.