As you might expect, the snappily-titled Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle is crammed full of technology including today’s driver-assist technologies, such as front-facing cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors.
Advertisement
Ford has been testing autonomous vehicles for more than ten years and is now it is expanding testing on the diversity of roads and realistic scenarios on Mcity, near the North Campus Research Complex of the University of MI, to accelerate research of advanced sensing technologies. “This is an important step in making millions of people’s lives better and improving their mobility”.
Mcity opened in July.
Various autonomous car-related tests have been made at Mcity but Ford is the first company to launch a full-scale test on the site. It features everything you’d expect from an urban environment from street lights to crosswalks, lane delineators, bike lanes, trees, sidewalks, signs and traffic control devices. It is also equipped with obstacles like ramps, roundabouts, tunnels and has roads with two to four lanes.
When Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) tests its vehicles at MCity, it will be able to gain on the ‘scaling factor.’ According to the Associate Professor as well as Principal Investigator on the Ford-Project at U-M, Ryan Eustice the project gains from the scale of things.
The University of MI often reminds observers of its close tie to the 38th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford. “In terms of autonomous vehicles, at lower speeds and controlled environments, we should start to see autonomous vehicles in the next four to five years”.
Ford has said that this simulated environment will help the company develop its self driving vehicles faster, as Mcity gives the company a chance to test out their cars in real world situations without being on the public roads.
Advertisement
“We are pleased to welcome Ford as the first automaker to use Mcity to test autonomous vehicles”, said Peter Sweatman, director, Mobility Transformation Center.
