The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd held a joint showcase of the UrbanAutoTest and DENSE-EU-ECSEL projects under the VTT´s Industrial Growth programme in Tampere, Finland on 18 May 2017. DENSE Project Coordinator Dr. Werner Ritter held a keynote speech on the challenges of automated driving development and attendees of the showcase had the chance to meet Marylin, the RobotCar and test drive in an urban road environment without a human driver.
Marylin is the name given to the first automated car that has a road traffic testing permit in Finland. The car is able to follow a pre-programmed route and avoid collisions without input of the driver. Various camera and sensor systems are used for high-resolution scanning of the vicinity both close- and longe-range. A combination with an artificial intelligence system interpreting the sensor data allows the car to move accurately as planned in a matter of milliseconds and centimetres.
The showcase demonstrated the state-of-the-art of autonomous driving as well as giving an outlook of the ongoing research & development in sensor technology and C2X communication and the challenges that lie ahead.