Autonomous vehicle trial hits Sydney’s streets as NSW government places stake on driverless cars

An “autonomous vehicle” trial has hit the streets of Sydney, with the NSW government staking half a million dollars on the future of driverless cars. You might just pull up to the traffic alongside one.

Roads Minister John Graham wants NSW to be ahead of the curve on driverless vehicle technology, sinking almost half a million dollars into testing and installing world-leading software at Sydney’s traffic lights.

Two-way traffic communication software currently in development could be permanently integrated into the existing Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System — the tech which adjusts the timing of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings across the city — from as early as next year.

The Cit-e software is being shown off to international delegates at the Intelligent Transport Systems Summit this week, at a test circuit in the inner city.

Self-driving robotic vehicles, designed by the University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics and “rigorously” tested for safety, will be weaving through the streets of Chippendale alongside ordinary traffic, transmitting location data over radio to the traffic lights, which report back information about the intersection’s layout, right of way, timing of signal changes and warnings of imminent hazards – including pedestrians and cyclists.

Australian Centre for Field Robotics senior researcher Stewart Worrall said the software is designed to “assess the scene” beyond the line of sight of the driver – or their autonomous vehicle – and in the not-so-distant future Cit-e equipped cars will be able to transmit their position to others within range.

NSW Roads Minister John Graham and Stewart Worrall from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics during the driverless vehicle trial. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“This technology is not just part of autonomy, but also for advanced driver assistance systems that can help human drivers … make decisions too,” he said.

Transport for NSW has invested just over $441,000 into the project, with the federal government and University of Sydney pitching in $200,000 each.

Senior researcher Stewart Worrall takes the autonomous vehicle out for a spin. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“It’s great to have something here in Sydney where we can test it under Australian conditions,” Mr Worrall said.

Minister Graham said the technology would “put NSW at the forefront of the national conversation” on driverless and “smart” vehicles.

“As cars get smarter, there’s the opportunity to make them safer and save lives on NSW roads,” he said.

“This vehicle-to-infrastructure technology can make a difference now, years before driverless vehicles become the norm because it can be retrofitted to existing intersections and built into the cars of today.

“Along with the safety benefits, this technology will also reduce traffic congestion, with communication between cars and infrastructure allowing the variation of a green-light windows to alleviate long queues.”

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Originally published as Autonomous vehicle trial hits Sydney’s streets as NSW government places stake on driverless cars