VTT launches AV for snow and ice conditions, Finland

VTT Technical Research Centre (VTT) of Finland has launched what it claims to be the first autonomous car (AC) to have successfully driven on a real snow-covered road. It also reached speeds of up to 40 km/h during a trial on the Aurora E8 intelligent road in Muonio.
December 18, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
814 VTT Technical Research Centre (VTT) of Finland has launched what it claims to be the first autonomous car (AC) to have successfully driven on a real snow-covered road. It also reached speeds of up to 40 km/h during a trial on the Aurora E8 intelligent road in Muonio.


Called Martti and based on research from VTT’s AC Marilyn, the vehicle is equipped with cameras, antennas, sensors and three laser sensors that detect the environment ahead. By mid-January, it will also be equipped with communication modules which are designed with the intention of communicating with digital transport infrastructure.

To enhance the car’s capacity to function on slippery road surfaces, VTT will begin changing the wavelengths of the optical components, increasing the resolution of the radar, and building more intelligence into the sensors’ software.

Matti Kutila from VTT’s RobotCar Crew, said: “When in spring 2017 we, the researchers, taught the automated car Marilyn to drive, this autumn it has been teaching us on how to make Martti such that it can get along with its spouse, and follow GPS and positioning information on its route. Martti has been designed for demanding weather conditions and Marilyn shines as the queen of urban areas.

“We already have at our disposal an intelligent roadside unit, capable of feeding local information for the insatiable needs of Martti and Marilyn. This cart dubbed Marsu contains measuring devices for friction data and a communications module serving as a base station. Furthermore, next Spring one of our vehicles can also be spotted in forest environments, when Marilyn and Martti get a new friend capable of tackling all terrains,” Kutila added.

For more information on companies in this article

VTT

Related Content

  • Students develop GPS traffic monitoring system
    July 15, 2013
    A collaborative summer research project between students from the University of Delaware (UD) and Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is compiling traffic data using global position system technology to quantify the severity of congestion on roads leading to and from the Delaware beaches. The students use two UD vehicles equipped with GPS devices programmed to capture travel time from one point to another, mean travel speed and delay using longitude and latitude measurements taken while the vehic
    Read More
  • Automated valet parking demonstrations held in Greenwich
    December 14, 2017
    The latest stage of the Gateway research programme, led by TRL in collaboration with The Royal College of Art (RCA), Gobotix and DG Cities has selected a range of participants to take part in automated valet parking in the borough of Greenwich, London. The trial aims to simulate real-world opportunities of connected and autonomous vehicles as well as provide an opportunity to inform thinking on its future deployment in cities. Using a bespoke extension of the Gobotix remote driver assistance service app
    Read More
  • Access and Irdeto partner to protect in-car data and services
    January 22, 2019
    Security specialist Irdeto has teamed up with Access Co to develop protection for the increasing amount of personal data that is generated by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication. As cars are increasingly turned into open environments due to advances in connectivity, the threat of data theft has risen. Niels Haverkorn, general manager of connected transport at Irdeto, says: “We are partnering with Access to create a complete and secure ecosystem, which means that V2X communicatio
    Read More
  • Regulation time-lag will hit driverless technology hard says leading consultancy BDO
    August 8, 2018
    The legislation surrounding driverless cars is lagging so far behind the technology involved that the industry is unlikely to see a regulatory framework in place any time soon says leading international business, finance and taxation consultancy BDO. And IEEE, "the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity" can only see problems ahead as the politicians fall further and further behind. BDO has been looking at a report from www.Spectr
    Read More

Highlighted Content