Group Renault has developed an autonomous driving
prototype that has an "obstacle avoidance capability as good as
professional test drivers."
Dubbed Callie, the prototype is based on a Renault
Zoe and it has been taught by some of the company's best test drivers. As the
human drivers complete the course at ever increasing speeds, Callie learns how
the drivers respond to obstacles and then mimics them. Thanks to this learning
process, the prototype can perform just as good as human drivers on the
obstacle course.
Renault says this is an industry first and is an
"important next step in using autonomous driving to improve vehicle
safety." The avoidance technology could be useful in a number of
situations including when a vehicle in front of the car suddenly stops and the
only way to avoid a collision would be to swerve into an adjacent lane.
Groupe Renault intends to become one of the first
automakers to offer "Mind off" technology on mainstream vehicles and
the company has plans to launch more than 15 Renault models with different
levels of autonomous driving capabilities by 2022.
