Veoneer and Ericsson Showcase Geofencing Technology in Stockholm

Swedish company Veoneer, the electronics company that was spun off from Autoliv, and Ericsson, the renowned networking and telecommunications company collaborated to showcase their geofencing technology in an urban environment in Stockholm, Sweden.

Geofencing refers to practice of digitally controlling the entry, speed and fuel use of connected vehicles within a geographic area. The Swedish government had launched a project in 2017 to use geofencing technology to create safer, more climate-smart cities. Companies like Scania, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group participated in the project which also involved the Swedish transport administration, the city of Gothenburg, the city of Stockholm, and Veoneer.

With vehicles and the infrastructural facilities in cities becoming more digitized, it is possible to use connected vehicles to make transportation more efficient, improve road safety and to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles. Geofencing can also help cities respond better to hostile vehicle attacks.

Ola Bostrom, VP Research & Patents, Veoneer said, “Geofencing is a tangible step toward smart cities. Our current driver assistance systems complement the driver’s senses, saving lives by reducing the number of traffic accidents. As cars become autonomous, the technology in the vehicles will need to be complemented with geofencing infrastructure. This will make the traffic environment safe.”

Asa Tamsons, senior vice president and head of business area technology & emerging business at Ericsson said, “Geofencing is a crucial part of intelligent transport systems, giving traffic authorities the power to make our cities safer and greener. The showcase by Veoneer and Ericsson demonstrates secure exchange of data between vehicles and digital traffic infrastructure within a geofenced traffic zone. With 5G, travel will become even safer and more efficient with networks automatically prioritising mission-critical communication between intelligent vehicles and infrastructure.”