Tekcapital PLC’s (LON:TEK) Guident portfolio company has exclusively licensed an “important” patent application from Michigan State University covering a technology which allows driverless cars to ‘talk’ to one another.
Based on technology licensed from a Florida university, Guident is developing software to improve the safety and utility of autonomous vehicles (AVs).
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MSU has built a system that enables self-driving cars to share information with other AVs and drones about objects detected by their sensors, flagging up pedestrians, potential hazards and traffic conditions in real time.
Having exclusively licensed the patent application, Guident now has the right to use the technology in its own software.
“We are pleased to announce that Guident has acquired the exclusive license to PCT US19 14 547,” said Guident chairman Harald Braun.
“This patent application leverages the forthcoming 5G network for acquiring and sharing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-object information to improve safety and reduce the likelihood of AV and drone accidents.”
Tekcapital chairman, Clifford Gross, added: “To enhance the safety and practicality of AV's, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-object information sharing systems are needed.
“The forthcoming 5G networks will help make this technology a useful improvement for safe AV and drone operation by empowering AV's to "see" not only what its sensors detect but what the sensors of all nearby vehicles are able to detect.”