Shropshire Star

Pioneering’ driverless vehicle trial to take place on UK roads

Autonomous electric car will be sent on a major test, taking in a variety of roads including motorways and country lanes as well as numerous driving situations

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Driverless vehicle technology is to take a huge step forward with a major test on UK roads.

The HumanDrive project, led by Nissan’s European Technical Centre, will be the most complex journey attempted across the country without driver input.

The test car, an all-electric Nissan Leaf, will be expected to deal with a variety of driving scenarios, including country lanes, roundabouts, A roads and motorways, all in live traffic and different environmental conditions.

To achieve this, the project will draw upon the expertise of several organisations, including Hitachi and Transport Systems Catapult, which oversaw the first UK test of a driverless vehicle in a public space in 2016. The other partners are Cranfield University, the University of Leeds, Horiba Mira, Atkins, Aimsun Ltd, SBD Automotive and Highways England.

The Leaf’s 200-mile journey will start in December 2019.

Catapult says the project, funded by the government and the automotive industry, will take ride comfort and adaptability in autonomous vehicles to the next level.

Additionally, the firm says the vehicle will emulate a “natural human” driving style, providing “an enhanced experience for the occupants”.

Mark Westwood, Catapult chief technology officer, said: “This pioneering project will considerably enhance the experience of drivers who use future autonomous vehicles.

“We’ve only just scratched the surface in terms of the capability of machine-learning and AI in driving. The HumanDrive project further reinforces the UK’s commitment to be at the forefront of future mobility.”

An example of a road the Leaf will be driving on.
An example of a road the Leaf will be driving on.

The artificial driver model – controlling perception and decision-making – will pilot the vehicle and will be developed using the latest artificial intelligence technologies.

Before being introduced on UK roads, the system will be developed and subjected to robust testing using a range of facilities including simulations, private test tracks and small sections of public roads. The project will run for 30 months in total.

Business, energy and industrial strategy secretary Greg Clark said: “Low-carbon and self-driving vehicles are the future and they are going to drive forward a global revolution in mobility.

“This revolution has the potential to be worth £52bn to our economy by 2035 and the opportunity to be at the forefront of this change is one we cannot afford to miss.

“Trailblazing projects like HumanDrive will play a vital role helping us deliver on that ambition, with UK businesses and research institutions working with partners from around the world on the disruptive technologies and services of the future.”

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