Test drive tests of an autonomous Peugeot 3008 continue
Tests include highway driving and driving through a toll station.
The PSA team is testing new features on their autonomous vehicle. The tests include driving on a highway at normal speed, passing a toll station offline and two other challenging scenarios: autonomous driving on a road section being repaired and automatically stopping in a safe place if the driver cannot take control in case of unforeseen circumstances ... circumstances.
New test moments occurred on 11 July on the A10 and A11 between Durdan and Ablis.
The set of cameras and radar did not fit very aesthetically into the experimental crossover, and the control computer took up the entire trunk. However, as is often the case in such cases, it is the cost of testing. Once the entire technology has been developed, it will later be possible to look at more invisible sensors and a compact “brain”.
We have seen prototypes with autonomous control more than once. But in most cases these are demo cars. A less visible, but more important mission is assigned to a fleet of prototypes prepared under the AVA (Autonomous Car for All) program. I like this autonomous Peugeot 3008 crossover, which is participating in ongoing experiments.
The PSA Group says its first autonomous vehicle has passed through a toll booth in 2017. At that time there was a prototype based on Picasso's Citroen C4. In 2018, as is known, autonomous prototypes of Renault and Hyundai coped with a similar task, and now the PSA concern is working on this action. Equally important is finding a safe stop in a scenario where, for example, the driver falls ill, or an insurmountable obstacle appears on the road, or the weather suddenly worsens - in general, in conditions where the automation can no longer continue driving.
In order to pass through the payment point, it is necessary to install equipment in the point itself, handing over a permit to pass the car and indicating the correct "entrance". In addition, the connection with the road infrastructure helps to establish in advance the procedure for overcoming the section under repair.
In all cases, the aid for the autonomous vehicle is cooperation with the road network. PSA's partner, VINCI Autoroutes, one of the largest road network operators in Europe and committed to developing its infrastructure (including digital technologies), is responsible for this part of the project. The French emphasize that different types of highway transmitters can provide the car with additional information that is not only accessible from navigation and external sensors. This enriches the information that the computer takes into account when determining what to do next. The PSA Group hopes that the results of the experiment will be taken into account in the work on the standardization of similar communication systems carried out in Europe in a number of projects such as SAM.
