August 22, 2013
Damon Lavrinc

Few things are more important than a reliable connection in space. The communication system between the International Space Station and Earth is one of the most robust ever created. And that’s why Ford is tapping Russian researchers to learn how they maintain the flow of information to both the systems and their robot caretakers, and then apply it to create safer cars that talk to one another.

For the next three years, Ford is partnering with the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia to study how its communication models with robots in space could influence more terrestrial undertakings like vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications here at home.

Mesh networks — combining a series of communication protocols into one cohesive system — is going to be the key to creating an accident-free future. But ensuring those networks are always functioning is a challenge.

Source
Wired