Jaguar's Fleet of Self-Driving Test Cars Will Start Hitting UK Roads This Year

Before the end of this year, Jaguar will have a handful of self-driving cars testing on UK roads.

The British brand intends to rollout a total of 100 self-driving research vehicles over the next four years to test a range of different autonomous driving technologies on a 41-mile road loop around Coventry and Solihull. Initially, the cars will be testing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, though many of JLR’s new self-driving technologies will also be tested.

Specific systems being developed by JLR include roadwork assist, safe pull away, over the horizon warnings and emergency vehicle assist. Roadwork assist will use a forward facing camera to identify traffic cones and barriers, allowing it to recognize a construction site as it approaches and to find the ideal way through. Safe pull away scans the area directly in front of the vehicle to prevent collisions that occur as a result of accidentally pressing the gas pedal when in a garage or parking lot.

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Over the horizon warnings come courtesy of JLR’s connected vehicle network, allowing a car in front to transmit a warning about hazards or obstacles to vehicles behind, while the emergency vehicle warning is an alert sent from an emergency vehicle, letting surrounding drivers know exactly where it is and how long they have to move over and let the emergency vehicle by.

“Our connected and automated technology could help improve traffic flow, cut congestion and reduce the potential for accidents. We will also improve the driving experience, with drivers able to choose how much support and assistance they need,” said Tony Harper, head of research at JLR. “In traffic, for example, the driver could choose autonomy assist during tedious or stressful parts of the journey. But even when an enthusiastic driver is fully focussed on enjoying the thrill of the open road, the new technology we are creating will still be working in the background to help keep them safe,” he said.

Jaguar has also released a set of videos detailing each system.

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