Ford trials autonomous vehicles in complete darkness

Ford has begun trials of its autonomous vehicles technology at night, pushing the limits of its capability in complete darkness.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle has completed recent tests at Ford’s Arizona Proving Ground as part of its smart mobility plans to be a leader in connectivity and autonomous vehicles.

The research vehicle utilises LiDAR technology, working in conjunction with 3D maps, to allow the vehicles to drive in complete darkness without the headlights on.

The tests were designed to push the limits of autonomous technologies and demonstrate the capability of self driving cars to perform beyond the capabilities of human drivers.

Jim McBride, Ford technical leader for autonomous vehicles, said: “Thanks to LiDAR, the test cars aren’t reliant on the sun shining, nor cameras detecting painted white lines on the asphalt. In fact, LiDAR allows autonomous cars to drive just as well in the dark as they do in the light of day.”

Wayne Williams, a Ford research scientist and engineer, said: “Inside the car, I could feel it moving, but when I looked out the window, I only saw darkness. As I rode in the back seat, I was following the car’s progression in real time using computer monitoring. Sure enough, it stayed precisely on track along those winding roads.”

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