Crash test dummies are not just the name of a cool band, but they are also essential in making sure that the extensive tests which a particular vehicle goes through before hitting mainstream production would help prevent nasty injuries and possibly the loss of life in the event of a collision on the road. Having said that, Ford is now looking into the realm of a self-driving car, having formed an alliance with Autonomous Solutions Inc. to work on robot drivers which will help them test the overall durability of a vehicle. This joint-effort will be based on a GPS system which is accurate to an inch, where it allows up to eight autonomous cars so that it can operate simultaneously on the same track.
Durability testing is not easy on the test vehicles, and neither are humans exempt from any danger. This particular partnership boasts of new technology that is three years in the making, where it is now being used to test out future models such as the 2014 Transit van. With robot drivers, tests can run round, week in, week out, with 100% repeatability. Pretty good idea when you think about it, and such robot drivers will never go on strike, and neither do they take sick days off. The only thing is, you might not get different variants while driving the way only a human can provide, which might just uncover something to be concerned of to the vehicle’s manufacturer. [Press Release]
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