A new project led by Jaguar Land Rover will develop self-driving cars that can ‘see’ around corners and through obstacles.
The AutopleX project will investigate safety improvements for self-driving technology. It will combine connected, automated, and live mapping technology to provide self-driving cars with more information, helping them to ‘see’.
By using these technologies, the project seeks to enable automated vehicles to communicate with other road users and obstacles, in order to carry out manoeuvres such as merging lanes or negotiating complex roundabouts where there is no direct view.
“This project is crucial in order to bring self-driving cars to our customers in the near future,” said Chris Holmes, Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Research Manager at Jaguar Land Rover.
“Together with our AutopleX partners, we will merge our connected and autonomous research to empower our self-driving vehicles to operate safely in the most challenging, real-world traffic situations. This project will ensure we deliver the most sophisticated and capable automated driving technology.”
As well as Jaguar Land Rover, the team working on the project includes Highways England, INRIX, engineering and environmental consultancy Ricardo, Siemens, Transport for West Midlands, and Warwick University.
“Autonomous vehicles offer the prospect of improved safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability of transportation,” said Ricardo chief operating officer Mark Garrett.
The project will see the technology developed both through simulation and with public road testing on motorways and in urban environments in the West Midlands.