Google and Apple do a good job of stealing driverless car headlines, but rather more quietly a British company will next week test its own autonomous car on embark on a 3,500-mile trans-American road trip.
On March 22, Delphi Automotive will demonstrate its driverless car on a journey between Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to New York City – America’s first and longest coast-to-coast drive by an automated vehicle.
The car looks indistinguishable from a standard Audi Q5 from the outside, but bristles with retro-fitted technology. The Delphi Drive vehicle is equipped with four short-range radars, three cameras, six lidars (distance-measuring tech that illuminates a target with a laser and analyses the reflected light) a localisation system, intelligent software algorithms and a full suite of Advanced Drive Assistance Systems.
Driverless cars trialled in Milton Keynes
The LUTZ Pathfinder pod is to become the first autonomous vehicle to run on British footpaths.
Trials of the electric-powered, two-seater vehicles, which are designed to work on pavements and pedestrianised areas, are to take place in Milton Keynes later this year.
“Through the LUTZ Pathfinder programme, the Transport Systems Catapult has pioneered the introduction of driverless pods in Milton Keynes and the first ever tests in the UK will take place later this year in a controlled public environment. The UK is at the forefront of this emerging new technology and poised to become the leading supplier of autonomous vehicles and systems around the world,” said Transport Systems Catapult CEO Steve Yianni.
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Paul
I dream of having a car that can drive itself. I can still drive to Wales from Worthing, but Northumberland is too far to drive in one day and, with London or its M25 in the way, I usually require a three night London stop to recover. The idea that I could get to NE England to meet my friends there just by sitting on the back seat reading my newspaper and drinking my coffee is truly attractive. Bring it on. But I love my car and I hope Volvo will make a kit whereby my car can be converted to drive itself – that would be the best thing!