Communications of the ACM
niversity of Michigan to Create Simulated City to Test Future Robotic Cars
The University of Michigan is building a simulated city center as a testing ground for automated vehicles.
Credit: Flickr
The University of Michigan (UM) is building a simulated city center, spread across 32 acres on its North Campus, to serve as the testing ground for automated vehicles.
The aim of the Mobility Transformation Facility is to ensure automated vehicles can maneuver safely on actual roadways.
The facility features streets with road signs, intersections, roundabouts, and stoplights; highways, including a four-lane highway, with merge lanes; building cut-outs, and railroad crossings. Moreover, the facility contains programmable streetlights, simulated construction, and mechanical pedestrians programmed to surprise the driverless cars as they pass through.
"We will actually be writing code for the test facility," says UM professor Edwin Olson. "We'll be able to trigger tricky traffic signal timings, or a pedestrian stepping into the intersection at just the wrong time, for example."
Researchers say the goal of the facility is to ensure these sophisticated vehicles can maneuver safely under real-world conditions.
Ford initially will use the facility to test its automated Fusion hybrid, which is not a fully driverless vehicle, and other companies will follow suit.
The university will inaugurate the facility this fall.
From University Herald (NY)
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