22A Posted July 25, 2018 Report Share Posted July 25, 2018 A consortium is trialling driverless pods this week at a disused airfield. The work is part of a scheme that will pave the way for the use of connected and autonomous vehicles to move people around airports, hospitals, business parks, shopping and tourist centres on trips of up to five miles. The aim is for the vehicles to navigate safely in both pedestrian and on-road environments, known as ‘dual-mode’. The closed test on a 2.5km runway at the disused Filton Airfield in north Bristol is the first of four trials under the pilot, which is being delivered by the Capri consortium that was awarded funding last year from Innovate UK and the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV). During the two-week trial the pods’ safety critical features are being assessed along with comfort testing. The pods are set to make their first public appearance later this year when they will transport members of the public around The Mall at South Gloucestershire’s Cribbs Causeway retail park. The project will culminate in an on-road public trial at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. An engagement day was also held at the trial with two local schools – Digitech Studio School and Filton Primary School – to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) activities in the region. George Lunt, technical director, said: “Connected and autonomous vehicles are predicted to make a huge impact on society, but require significant research and development to support their future commercial use. With a wide range of potential markets for on-demand mobility services, our pilot has clear economic benefits that will inform the business cases for these types of schemes. The trial at Filton Airfield is the first important milestone for this pilot and will inform our next trial due to take place in a public environment at a busy shopping centre.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erithacus Posted July 25, 2018 Report Share Posted July 25, 2018 Clearly, the intended progress for these vehicles will start with purely-controlled environments, then slowly add more 'real world' factors to ensure the systems work as expected. By allowing them to operate in a relatively limited real world scenario, like at the Mall, the boffins will (hopefully) be able to monitor the increasing range of potential problems. All part of the path to the future. The jury is still out as to whether true driverless vehicles (Level 5 autonomy and above) will ever be capable of operating on a level to that of a competent human in the real world. Can you see them trying to negotiate the traffic outside Abbeywood of a Monday morning? Add to that, the legal and practical demands of such cars has been caught completely cold by this new technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 On 25/07/2018 at 23:55, Erithacus said: Clearly, the intended progress for these vehicles will start with purely-controlled environments, then slowly add more 'real world' factors to ensure the systems work as expected. By allowing them to operate in a relatively limited real world scenario, like at the Mall, the boffins will (hopefully) be able to monitor the increasing range of potential problems. All part of the path to the future. The jury is still out as to whether true driverless vehicles (Level 5 autonomy and above) will ever be capable of operating on a level to that of a competent human in the real world. Can you see them trying to negotiate the traffic outside Abbeywood of a Monday morning? Add to that, the legal and practical demands of such cars has been caught completely cold by this new technology. You wouldn't get little shits carving you up during the rush hour and maybe with the software employed the traffic would flow smoother . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erithacus Posted August 2, 2018 Report Share Posted August 2, 2018 I can see a 'connected' transport future where Putin or other geeky assassins cause complete melt-down by hacking the software. Think of a kind of cyber equivalent of the mess Fred Emney caused to Turin's motoring in The Italian Job. You heard it here first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobBobSuperBob Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 Would certainly be an upgrade on the numerous mothers who can’t cope with the massive four by fours they’ve chosen that I encounter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 2 hours ago, BobBobSuperBob said: Would certainly be an upgrade on the numerous mothers who can’t cope with the massive four by fours they’ve chosen that I encounter .......... you saying women are bad drivers ............. ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 Is the equivalent of a ' driverless car ' a ' legless pedestrian ' ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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