Wireless Communication Optimization in Optical Imaging and Sensing for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Chain Management

Dear Colleagues,

With advances in automated and connected driving, secure communication is increasingly becoming a safety-critical function. The injection of manipulated radio messages into traffic could cause severe accidents in the foreseeable future, and can currently be achieved without having to manipulate on-board vehicle systems directly, for example by hijacking cell phones instead and using these as senders. Thereby, large-scale attacks on vehicles can be executed remotely, and relatively vulnerable devices can be targeted.

Advances in communication, controls and embedded systems now pave the way for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), which use sensors and software to control, navigate and drive vehicles to a predetermined destination, without any human intervention.

Autonomous vehicles could increase car utilization by 5%–75%, thus reducing CO₂ emissions becomes critical, as does saving fuel and time, reducing congestion, parking utilization and even accidents.

Autonomous vehicles with optical imaging and sensing technologies incorporate safety systems such as lane departure warning systems, sign detection systems, parking assistance, collision avoidance and accident recorders. Radars, lidars, sensors and cameras are the key components in the development of self-driving cars. Radars lag in the detection of the exact size and shape of an object; meanwhile, for lidars, although they are more accurate than radars, the detection distance is critical. Lidars help in generating 3D point maps around the vehicle. These components provide the necessary information about the environment around the vehicle in real time.

This Special Issue aims to present recent advances in wireless communications in optical imaging and sensing for autonomous vehicles. This is an opportunity to gather researchers to develop fundamental principles and discuss and share original research works and practical experiences. The scope includes, but is not limited to:

• Optimization of optical imaging and sensing in V2X communication;
• Wireless communication in vehicle optics and chain management;
• Optimization intelligent CAVs;
• Millimeter-wave communication for internet management of vehicles;
• Optical camera communication systems for intelligent internet of vehicles;
• Wireless sensor fusion technology in CAVs;
• CAV environment management;
• Optical communication in underwater connected and autonomous vehicles;
• AI and machine intelligence for optical imaging and sensing-enabled CAVs.

Prof. Dr. Mustafa M. Matalgah
Guest Editor

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