As driverless cars edge closer to consumer launch, three tests will be carried out across the UK starting in 2015.
In Bristol, the Venturer project will test autonomous vehicles with funding from Innovate UK, a UK innovation agency. Part of the study will research how the public responds to driverless cars.
In Greenwich, South East London, the Gateway project will be testing an automated transport led by the Transport Research Laboratory.
On the Innovate UK site it states:
Testing will include automated electric shuttle vehicles, M1 vehicles, a demonstration of tele-operated driving and a simulated 3D model of the Greenwich peninsula.
Nick Jones, lead technologist for the low carbon vehicle innovation platform at Innovate UK, said: “Cars that drive themselves would represent the most significant transformation in road travel since the introduction of the internal combustion engine and at Innovate UK, we want to help the UK to lead the world in making that happen.
“There are so many new and exciting technologies that can come together to make driverless cars a reality, but it’s vital that trials are carried out safely, that the public have confidence in that technology and we learn everything we can through the trials so that legal, regulation and protection issues don’t get in the way in the future.”
In Milton Keynes and Coventry, UK Autodrive will test small driverless pods on walkways called LUTZ Pathfinders in addition to cars for the roads.
Google has been working on driverless cars for years and testing them in Silicon Valley.
View their latest video here:
The tests will begin January 1 and will last from 18 to 36 months.