Series 7 Episode 3 – What you should know about autonomous vehicles

Kevin works in Coventry University’s CCAAR – the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Automotive Research – which is part of CAM Testbed UK (CAM stands for connected and automated mobility): “a UK organisation of testbeds that look to take companies through the process of verifying, validating and certifying safe products for new features in autonomy. Those features may be anything from advanced lane keeping systems through to more full self driving systems.”

As Kevin explains, the CCAAR is focused on human-centred research, “so [the public’s] trust, perception, and acceptance of vehicles from the design perspective” are vital areas. “We have a group that looks at control systems design and digital validation and verification. ... It takes a lot of physical mileage to prove these new systems as we move into a scenario-based testing environment. ...

“What we do is try to get confidence in those digital tools so that we’ve verified products and only do a minimum – or sort of minimised amount – of physical testing.”

Kevin goes on to explain that the centre also concentrates on the safety of both occupants and pedestrians and “sits underneath the umbrella of clean growth and future mobility, which is [the CCAAR’s] main research institute”.

For more details on autonomous mobility, safety, and eco-friendly transport, you can listen to this episode of Electronic Specifier Insights on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.