An experimental driverless SUV successfully completed a full lap around the Coventry Ring Road. The brand's press service noted that the car confidently changed lanes without ever exceeding the set speed limit of 65 km/h or committing any traffic violations.
The test run took place as part of the UK Autodrive initiative, the finale of which is scheduled for the end of this month — just three years after the start of research. The autonomous system fitted to the SUV combines advanced lidars, video cameras, and ultrasonic sensors. The system reads the road surface ahead of the vehicle and, based on this data, constructs an optimal driving trajectory.
This SUV can navigate roundabouts without human intervention, take traffic light signals into account, and recognize pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles on the road. Additionally, the system can autonomously park the car.
Jaguar Land Rover believes that the introduction of such technologies will help reduce congestion and significantly improve road safety. Network solutions will enable future cars to exchange data with each other and with road infrastructure.
A year earlier, Jaguar Land Rover had already launched trials of autonomous vehicles in urban environments — tests were conducted in Coventry and in 12 other cities worldwide.
