Mock urban environment will provide test bed for autonomous cars

​A controlled urban environment will provide a testing ground for autonomous vehicles, according to vehicle validation firm Millbrook, which plans to build one in Oxfordshire.

The project, which is being carried out in conjunction with the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s centre for Remote Applications for Challenging Environments (RACE), will build on an existing closed-off test-track at the Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire.

The 10km road network on site will be upgraded to reflect the complexity of real urban contexts and capture human aspects of real-world operations. The site, which is being co-funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, will offer access to the developers of software, sensors, and security systems for driverless cars a place to test their equipment.

“This is a critical step in accelerating the development of CAV technologies”, said Alex Burns, President of Millbrook.

“We are pleased to be developing world-class CAV test infrastructure in the UK as part of a coherent cluster. Safety is paramount in everything that we do and these developments align perfectly with our priorities, helping to ensure robust scrutiny of performance and the safe passage of technologies from concept to the real world.”

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: “Combining ambitious new technologies and innovative business models to address social and economic challenges lies at the heart of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy. Accelerating connected and autonomous vehicle technology development is central to achieving this ambition and will help to ensure the UK is one of the world’s go-to locations to develop this sector.”

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