WMG at the University of Warwick is to use a laser scan of 30 miles of Coventry roads to test driverless pods as part of a research programme launched this week. WMG will work with RDM Group - the UK’s only designer and manufacturer of driverless Pods - in a project called INnovative Testing of Autonomous Control Techniques (INTACT). The project, funded by Innovate UK, will enable Coventry based automotive innovation experts RDM to test its vehicles on one of the world’s most adaptable and advanced driving simulators at WMG.

Professor Paul Jennings from WMG at the University of Warwick said:

“The vehicles will be tested on a state of the art simulator we have just installed in WMG. It will use a LIDAR scan (essentially a high resolution laser scan of an environment) of 30 miles of real roads around the City of Coventry to the test vehicles in the simulator.

“The simulator can be configured so that different vehicles can be driven into it for testing, and the real world wireless environment will be recreated too. We believe both will be novel capabilities for such an advanced simulator.”

David Keene, Chairman of RDM Group, said: “It is fantastic that we have such advanced simulation technology at our disposal to analyse how driverless vehicles will react before being deployed in the real world.

“It will speed up the testing process considerably and help with the positioning of the sensors on the pods. Yet another example of how university and industry can work together to put the region and the country at the forefront of driverless technology.”

Notes for Editors

The WMG Simulator: The Drive-in, Driver-in-the-loop, multi-axis driving simulator (3xD), simulator in WMG that will be used in INTACT, developed following an award of £3.2 million by The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Currently situated in the International Manufacturing Centre, it will permanently move to the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) in 2017. It will be the world's first immersive, simulated environment for smart and connected vehicles which includes full emulation of wireless communications - the simulator will be a centrepiece as part of NAIC's Virtual Reality centre. It will provide a unique platform for innovation and technology creation. The simulator will be a key facility for researchers working on autonomous, smart and connected vehicles.

RDM Group Located in the heart of Coventry, RDM Group has been putting the City on the map following its groundbreaking involvement in the LUTZ Pathfinder trial, which will see driverless pods trialled on the pavements of Milton Keynes this Spring. The company, which employs over 50 people, has been involved in the design and build of the iconic pods and will also be a key partner in the recently announced £20m UK Autodrive consortium.

For further information please contact:

Lisa Barwick, Head of Marketing and Communications,
WMG, University of Warwick
Tel: 024 76 524721 or 07824 540845
Email: L.Barwick@warwick.ac.uk

or

Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Policy,
University of Warwick, Tel UK: 024 76523708 office 07767 655860 mobile
Tel Overseas: +44 (0)24 76523708 office +44 (0)7767 655860 mobile/cell
Email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

For questions relating to RDM Group, please contact Miles Garner on 07989 995168 / mgarner@rdmgroup.co.uk

PR40 PJD 3^rd February 2016