HORIBA MIRA Hosts Landmark UK Autodrive Trials
HORIBA MIRA – a world-leader in advanced engineering, research and testing – today hosted the latest trials for UK Autodrive, the UK’s largest project for showcasing the benefits of autonomous and connected vehicles.
The trials taking place today mark the completion of the final stage of private test track demonstrations. The project will now move onto public road trials, debuting onto closed-off streets – an important milestone for the £20 million research and development project.
Project partners Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) led the demonstrations, showcasing a series of connected car and autonomous vehicle technologies that will now be prepared for trials on the roads of Milton Keynes and Coventry.
Taking place at HORIBA MIRA’s world-renowned proving ground, demonstrations included showcasing how connected vehicles can inform their drivers if an emergency vehicle is approaching, and how vehicles can issue intersection collision warnings upon approaching a difficult junction allowing a driver to react to oncoming traffic even without line of sight, by which time it may be too late. There was also a demonstration on how connected cars can be sent information from road signs, such as ‘Road Works Ahead’ or national speed limit displays. Additionally, a demonstration took place of a highly automated vehicle capable of negotiating complex urban roads without any driver intervention.
HORIBA MIRA is one of 16 organisations collaborating in the UK Autodrive project and is the provider of controlled environment (proving ground) test facilities. In addition, HORIBA MIRA developed functional safety guidance, as well as supporting the development of guidance on Cyber Security and wireless communications for all of the UK Autodrive trials.
Tim Edwards, Senior Consultant at HORIBA MIRA, said:
“HORIBA MIRA is proud to host the demonstrations and trials for UK Autodrive today. The test procedures and test facilities being utilised for the UK Autodrive trials are fully supported by HORIBA MIRA’s world class expertise in connected autonomous vehicle systems, functional safety, cyber security and wireless communications – some of the underpinning technologies that are essential to the robustness and reliability of connected and autonomous vehicles.
“As a research partner for UK Autodrive, we are already looking ahead to the next testing stages of the project and the requirements for the future deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles, further positioning the UK as a global leader for the development of connected autonomous vehicle technologies.”
The UK Autodrive project will culminate in a series of public road trials and demonstrations in Coventry and Milton Keynes in 2018.
For more information on UK Autodrive, please visit www.ukautodrive.com
