QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q) will take part in the largest on-road testing trial in Australia of connected vehicles.
Queensland Main Roads and Road Safety Minister Mark Bailey announced yesterday (THURSDAY 24) Ipswich had been chosen as the site of the large-scale test-bed to trial vehicles and infrastructure that can talk to one another as well as to test cooperative and highly-automated vehicles on South East Queensland roads.
“To realise the potential benefits of these emerging technologies, we will undertake a trial over the next four years as part of the Cooperative and Automated Vehicle Initiative (CAVI),” Mr Bailey said.
“The Palaszczuk Government will recruit around 500 Ipswich motorists to take part who will have their vehicles retrofitted with cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) technology.
“These C-ITS devices work by providing safety warnings to the driver about a range of conditions – for example, a pedestrian crossing at a signalised intersection, a red light runner or a queue ahead that isn’t visible to a driver.”
Minister Bailey said TMR would be working with Bosch to secure some cooperative and highly-automated vehicles for testing like their first self-driving car developed in Australia (sponsored by the Victorian Government) which was on display at Willowbank.
“Our interest in testing these vehicles is to help understand the implications for our infrastructure and drivers, and the improvements to automated vehicle performance when the vehicle can talk to other vehicles and infrastructure,” Mr Bailey said.
“These rapidly developing technologies have the potential to significantly reduce crashes and crash-related gridlock, as well as reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use over coming decades.
“While industry is leading the development of advanced vehicle technologies, the success of these will rely upon connecting to our existing traffic systems.
“Today’s announcement highlights the Government’s continued work to focus on the need for safety and care on our roads.”
CARRS-Q Deputy Director Professor Andry Rakotonirainy said CARRS-Q researchers would conduct a series of research studies to understand how drivers interact with new cooperative and automated functionalities on real roads.
“This is a first in Australia,” Professor Rakotonirainy said.
“CARRS-Q will also investigate how other road users, including vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists, interact or perceive automated cars.
“These studies will address fundamental issues such as trust, acceptability, willingness to use and safety of automated cars.”
The CAVI project is co-funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission. It will be delivered with the support of a number of organisations including Ipswich City Council, Bosch Australia and CARRS-Q.
Additional industry partners will be announced as the project moves through a market engagement process.
On road testing is expected to occur in 2019.
Media contact:
Rob Kidd, QUT Media, 07 3138 1841, rj.kidd@qut.edu.au
After hours, Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901
