Ford says it is the first automaker to test autonomous vehicles at Mcity – the full-scale simulated real-world urban environment at the University of Michigan.
The 32-acre facility is part of the university’s Mobility Transformation Centre.
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“Testing Ford’s autonomous vehicle fleet at Mcity provides another challenging, yet safe, urban environment to repeatedly check and hone these new technologies,” said Global Product Development group vice president, Raj Nair.
“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 ten years and is now expanding that on the diversity of roads and realistic neighbourhoods of Mcity near the North Campus Research Complex to accelerate evaluation of advanced sensing technologies.
Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicle merges today’s driver-assist technologies, such as front-facing cameras, radar and ultrasonic sensors, and adds four LiDAR sensors to generate a real-time 3D map of the vehicle’s surrounding environment.
Mcity opened in July. The full-scale urban environment provides real-world road scenarios – such as running a red light – which can’t be replicated on public roads.
