Cyber cars

Sensor-guided, driverless cars could be a step closer following a UK project to investigate the technologies needed for autonomous vehicles.

The project, Auto Taxi, has developed and tested safety-critical sensors and data-fusion systems to allow cars to gather and process complex information about the road ahead, including the presence of other vehicles.

During the first phase of the two-year project the team tested a combination of state-of-the-art sensors already used in some cars — lane departure warning video, active cruise control radar, lidar (which uses light to measure speed and distance) and ultrasonic sensors.

These sensors were then enhanced and two new prototype devices added: a stereo video system developed at Warwick University and an LED rangefinder.

The trials began with simple tests on a figure-of-eight track, before moving on to more complex scenarios to simulate realistic driving conditions, such as vehicles approaching from side roads and parking.