UK CITE Autonomous Cars Collaboration
Modern vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with on board computers, active safety systems and other driver assistance technologies now commonplace. Trials of autonomous vehicles are well underway and it is anticipated that self-driving cars will be commercially available in the near future.
But with in-vehicle technology continually improving, the transport sector now faces a challenge to ensure that the right conditions are in place to support these advances, maximising the benefits and minimising the risks of these hi-tech tools.
Our researchers are playing a leading role in this field, and are joining forces with partners across academia, government and industry on a new project to create one of the world’s most advanced environments for connected and autonomous driving.
Experts from our Centre for Mobility and Transport are working on a £7 million government-backed project which will establish how new advances in technology can improve journeys, reduce traffic congestion and provide in-vehicle entertainment and safety services through better connectivity.
The university’s efforts are focusing on one of the most complex factors associated with advances in automotive technology – human behaviour and how we interact with this new equipment.
Making use of our own state-of-the-art driving simulator, our researchers are investigating the impact of connected vehicle technology on drivers’ behaviour, the infrastructure capacity of such technology, safety implications and cybersecurity issues.
With trials also taking place in real-life conditions on public roads, the work will accelerate and refine the development of connected and intelligent automotive technology, helping to pave the way for the widespread introduction of autonomous vehicles in the UK.
