As part of its Project Nightonomy, an initiative to test autonomous vehicles in near-complete darkness, Ford Motor Co. began testing its LiDAR technology, the company said yesterday.
“Thanks to LiDAR, the test cars aren’t reliant on the sun shining, nor cameras detecting painted white lines on the asphalt,” says Jim McBride, Ford technical leader for autonomous vehicles said in the release. “In fact, LiDAR allows autonomous cars to drive just as well in the dark as they do in the light of day.” Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research car was tested at Ford Arizona Proving Ground, with no headlights on, relying only on 3D maps.
The OEM said it will triple its autonomous vehicle test fleet this year, to 30 driverless hybrid sedans, in an effort to grow its Ford Smart Mobility initiative, aimed at developing and investing in mobility services across all of Ford’s businesses, including Ford Credit.
Check out the video of the testing below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc15Ox8UzEw&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop
