Driverless car city to test ethics

Calculated chaos at M City tests the abilities of smart cars. Photo: UM Photography/D Marshke.

Calculated chaos at M City tests the abilities of smart cars. Photo: UM Photography/D Marshke.

Published Jul 24, 2015

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Ann Arbour, Michigan - Although smart cars are getting ever closer to being able to drive themselves, there are still a number of obstacles to overcome before the day when we can simply sit back and say “Home James.”

The obstacles are literal in that we need to figure out how an autonomous car “decides” to handle itself in impending collisions.

For example, will the car determine it’s better to hit a pedestrian or cyclist if doing so would avoid a more serious collision and put more people potentially at harm?

It’s to test such ethical quandaries that several carmakers have teamed up to create a 32-acre “city” at the University of Michigan in the US, where self-driving cars can be tested before they are set loose in the real world.

Dubbed M City, the facility simulates the chaos of a busy urban environment with a range of complexities vehicles encounter.

It includes roads with intersections, traffic signs and signals, pavements, traffic circles, simulated buildings, street lights, and obstacles such as construction barriers.

WATCH OUT FOR THOSE PEDESTRIANS!

Robot dummies occasionally jump into the street to simulate the unpredictable behaviour of real pedestrians.

Carmakers involved in the project so far include Ford, Honda, Nissan, Toyota and General Motors.

Modern high-end cars like the Mercedes-Benz S-class have safety features that guide them in their lanes, keep a safe following distance, and automatically brake to avoid an errant car or pedestrian, but it’s not full autonomous driving as the driver still has to keep their hands on the steering wheel.

However the “Home James” era isn’t far off, and projects like M City are bringing it ever closer. It’s estimated that autonomous cars may account for up to a quarter of sales in 20 years’ time.

Star Motoring

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