darkness and heavy rain – what is challenging for the human eye when driving a car can be just as difficult for the environment sensors in automated vehicles. In order to optimize this, the world’s first and only sprinkler system was installed on the test track for automated driving on the premises of the Magna Powertrain Engineering Center in St. Valentin. Over a length of almost 100 meters, modern technology can be used to simulate lifelike rain in various strengths.
“During heavy rain, the sensors often detect objects that aren’t there, or overlook objects that are there,” said Eva Tatschl-Untersberger, Managing Director of Digitrans, at the opening of the test center on Wednesday. Together with the Linz spray technology company Aquasys, research was carried out for more than a year on a rain system “whose precipitation pattern should come as close as possible to natural rain”.
Digitrans, which is funded by both the state of Upper Austria and Lower Austria, started expanding the 20-hectare test site last year, on which, in addition to precipitation, other complex traffic scenarios for automated vehicles can also be simulated. In addition to regulated and unregulated intersections, a roundabout and a city environment were recreated. The test vehicle is currently a truck from car logistician Hoedlmayr based in Schwertberg, which is equipped with “state-of-the-art assistance systems,” says Hödlmayr CFO Robert Horvath. The vehicle is to be further developed on the test track and prepared for autonomous driving in road traffic.
The Economics and Research Provincial Councilor Markus Achleitner (VP), who was present at the opening together with his Lower Austrian colleague Jochen Danninger (VP), also spoke of a “future-oriented concept”. A total of 2.75 million euros were invested in the test center, provided by the state of Upper Austria, the state of Lower Austria and the European Union.
Source: Nachrichten
