Back in February we told you about RobotCar, a Nissan LEAF capable of driving around the grounds of the University of Oxford all by itself.
Now the project to develop a low cost driverless car has taken a significant turn. Instead of being restricted to private roads on the campus, the University’s Mobile Robotics Group (MRG) has been given UK Government permission to continue trials of the fully autonomous car on public roads.
The RobotCar LEAF uses radar, cameras and sensors to ‘learn’ a route and avoid obstacles. The system is controlled by an iPad, and although it will drive itself, there’s always someone sitting behind the steering wheel who can regain manual control simply by touching the brakes.
But then, the Government makes it clear that no matter how sophisticated the system is, it is not intended to take the place of a driver. Instead it should be seen as a watchful eye making sure the driver doesn’t make a mistake such as wandering out of a lane or colliding with another car.
“Fully autonomous cars remain a further step (away), and for the time being drivers will have the option – a responsibility – of taking control of the vehicle themselves,” said the Government’s Action for Roads policy document.
But it is great news as far as the MRG is concerned. “We hope to test the Oxford robot electric car on the road in the coming weeks as an essential part of building a complete system. There's a lot more research and testing to do, but the project is progressing well and we welcome this announcement.”
To read our original story, which gives more details about the project, click this link: http://alliance-renault-nissan.com/blog/nissan-leaf-no-emissions-no-noise-no-driver
To learn more about the MRG project and the RobotCar, visit their website: http://mrg.robots.ox.ac.uk/