Fishermans Bend could become driverless hub as hi-tech transport research centre opens

FISHERMANS BEND could become a home for Victoria’s first fleet of driverless cars with the opening of a new nation-leading research centre.

FISHERMANS BEND could become a home for Victoria’s first fleet of driverless cars with the opening of a new nation-leading research centre.

The multimillion-dollar building, opening in the growth precinct on Wednesday, will be the new home for the Australian Road Research Board’s transport science facility.

Scientists working on new-generation bitumen and autonomous high-end cars will now be based in the heart of Melbourne as governments work to ramp up the rollout of modern transport options.

ARRB CEO Michael Caltabiano said the new centre was a “reset moment” for mobility research in Australia.

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“We have in this building the capacity to define our transport future,” he said.

“Our integrated laboratory is unique in the world and we’re testing the next generation of materials to improve the quality of our infrastructure in the future.

“We’ve got a journey to go down … We’re currently the only first world country without a connected and automated test bed.”

Mr Caltabiano said a key priority was to turn the suburb into a research and testing hub for driverless cars in Australia.

“We need an urban test platform and that is Fishermans Bend,” he said.

“Victoria is ideal because we’ve got the skills and desire from the private sector.

“The State Government has done a great job with the planning and overlay ... We can now allow this community to be the first in the country to have connected and automated vehicles.

“We’ve already had conversations with the government at a political and department level and we’re continuing that conversation because Australia needs multiple test beds.”

It comes after the successful trial of an autonomous bus at La Trobe University and further studies into the technology on CityLink and EastLink.

Mr Caltabiano said researchers were also investing in “smart bitumen” and other new materials to build Victoria’s next generation of roads.

“You might never have a pothole again under this new technology,” he said.

“We’re testing plastic, rubbers and recycled materials and looking at nanoparticles in road pavements to make sure Victoria is leading the world in this science.

“A key aspect is designing roads that driverless cars might be able to navigate without marked lines.”

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