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Ford lifts lid on surreal world of self-driving cars – see the video!

Ford Testing Autonomous Vehicles in Full Scale Simulated Urban Environment
Ford testing autonomous vehicles in simulated urban environment

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15 November 2015

Mcity provides real-world road scenarios – such as running a red light – that cannot be replicated on public roads. There are street lights, pedestrian crossings, lane markings, bike lanes, trees, pavements, signs, traffic lights – even construction barriers.

AS YOU wince at the rainy glare of brake lights in front, brace as you strap-hang on the Tube or wedge in the sweaty sardine can of the jolting 7.30 to Waterloo braving leaves on the line, just pause for a minute and take in the dream of the day the car takes responsibility for the daily commute – and more.

You connect to the system then sit back and check emails, take calls with full concentration on the business in hand, or browse the papers.

Well, like it or not, the autonomous vehicle transformation is coming your way and before long you’ll be riding in and trading in them! So read on!

Volvo autonomous driving has been in the spotlight for some time and now Ford lifts the lid on the surreal world of self-driving cars and its work as the first carmaker to test autonomous vehicles at Mcity – a simulated real-world urban environment at the University of Michigan in the United States. The 32-acre facility is part of the university’s Mobility Transformation Center.

Mcity provides real-world road scenarios – such as running a red light – that cannot be replicated on public roads. There are street lights, pedestrian crossings, lane markings, bike lanes, trees, pavements, signs, traffic lights – even construction barriers.

Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle
Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle

“Testing Ford’s autonomous vehicle fleet at Mcity provides another challenging, yet safe, urban environment to repeatedly check and hone these new technologies,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “This is an important step in making millions of people’s lives better and improving their mobility.”

Ford has been testing autonomous vehicles for more than 10 years globally – including research with the Ford Mondeo by the UK Autodrive Consortium at MIRA test facility in Nuneaton so that it can cope with driving on both sides of the road! – and with its Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle with the University of Michigan since 2013 to advance sensing systems for next-generation Fords.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle is tested over a range of surfaces – concrete, asphalt, simulated brick and dirt – and manoeuvres two-, three- and four-lane roads, as well as ramps, roundabouts and tunnels. The Ford test vehicles merge today’s driver-assist technologies with LiDAR sensors – technology that measures distance using lasers and analyses any reflected light – to generate a real-time 3D map of the surrounding environment.

Autonomous vehicles are one element of Ford Smart Mobility, Ford’s plan to deliver the next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and big data to address the world’s biggest transportation challenges. To see more of that, check it out here.

But meanwhile for a taste of the Mcity autonomous vehicle testing with a Ford Fusion, click on this video below – and I’ll bet you’ll be wondering what the roof of an autonomous police traffic car is going to look like!

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