Ford and Bosch Make Huge Autonomous Driving Announcements at CES 2016
Luke Cloherty, Editor
Motoring giant Ford is to triple the number of autonomous test vehicles in its fleet to 30 and will launch a smaller Velodyne Lidar (laser radar), it announced at a series of press conferences at CES 2016.
Lidar devices are large, often roof mounted aids for autonomous cars to help them scan the road ahead and collect data to plot a safer course.
The new Velodyne models are much smaller than typical Lidars and will be fitted into the side view mirrors of Ford’s Fusion Hybrid self-drive automobiles.
Alongside Ford’s announcement, Bosch also announced that it is working on an autonomous valet-parking element, which will allow drivers to leave their vehicles at a car park entrance, at which point the car will find a suitable space and park itself, by 2018. The car will then be able to drive itself back to the drop-off point upon leaving time.
Bosch chairman, Dr Volkmar Denner, said that drivers trying to find parking spaces account for around 30% of the world’s urban congestion.
January 7, 2016
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