Ford has conducted experiment on its Fusion hybrid sedans employed with autonomous technology and successfully came out with driving in the dark without the use of headlamps. The American car manufacturer tested a new technology called LiDAR sensor to demonstrate capabilities beyond human reach.
The latest test by Ford at its proving ground in Arizona base used the LiDAR technology and 3D maps to perform this act. During night time, a Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle drove through serene desert roads to finish the task that would be highly unattainable for a human being.
The demonstration was part of Ford’s endeavour in delivering fully grown autonomous vehicles to customers all around the world in the not so distance future, presumably before the end of this decade. Highlighted as a significant development in the Ford Smart Mobility, the company used LiDAR technology which works in tandem with the vehicle’s virtual driver software.
It was good enough to steer through the difficult roads and no cameras were relied upon as they depend on light source. It’s obvious to have three modes of sensors like cameras and radar but the new LiDAR technology can operate individually on roads without signal stoppers.
With the LiDAR sensor doesn’t rely on light or the cameras, Ford believes the fatality rate will come drastically down as data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explained that the occupants in the vehicles facing fatality during dark are three times higher than that of daytime.
In the even of driving in the dark, Ford’s autonomous cars use high resolution 3D maps for easy navigation. It will have all sorts of necessary information like the road, its markings, geographical location, topography and important landmarks like buildings and signs. The LiDAR pulses aid in pointing itself real-time on the map. The LiDAR sensor and radar act together to enhance the sensing capability of the self-driving cars.
Ford engineers sported night-vision goggles and monitored the Fusion hybrid vehicle. The LiDAR sensor working in full-swing by projecting infrared laser beams in the form of a grid was seen through the night-vision goggles as 2.8 million laser pulses a second were emitted to scan the surrounding. Ford is committed to triple its autonomous vehicles to 30 as the Fusion Hybrid sedans will be tested on the roads of California, Arizona and Michigan.