Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

An autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), also known as a self-driving car or driverless car, is a vehicle capable of sensing its environment and moving safely with little or no human input. Autonomous--driving cars combine a variety of sensors to perceive their surroundings such as radar, lidar, sonar, GPS, odometry and inertial measurement units. Advanced control systems interpret sensory information to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as obstacles and relevant signage. The hardware capabilities of autonomous driving cars are already approaching the levels needed for well--optimized ADV software to run smoothly. However, the software (perception, planning, coordination, and human interaction) to complement and utilize the full potential of autonomous vehicle hardware is still undeveloped. Solving these software challenges requires not only significant upfront research and development but also lengthy testing and validation periods. Therefore, appropriate infrastructure is in urgent need to support the research on key autonomous--driving technologies, especially decision--making, sensor--fusion, and optimization strategies, which are vital to complement and utilize the full potential of autonomous vehicles. The requested infrastructure, Autonomous Driving Research Facility (ADRF), will build a unique facility in the Canadian university environment capable of serving as a critical platform for emerging research on autonomous--driving, as well as create a unique, vibrant and multidisciplinary learning and training environment for highly qualified personnel (HQP). It will be complementary to the existing York Research Facility for Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (YU--AUV) and will provide a key research platform for research activities in autonomous-driving techniques. It is the ideal infrastructure to enable the necessary experiments to be performed and therefore develop the technology to facilitate autonomous vehicles getting on the road.