Skip to main content

Duck soup

Researchers at the highly prestigious MIT University in the US are developing technology for advanced autonomous vehicles, with the help of toy taxis and plastic ducks. The research team have set up a large test area to simulate urban streets, fitting cameras to the toy taxis to allow the development of sophisticated algorithms that will help in controlling full-sized autonomous vehicles when the work is complete. The plastic ducks meanwhile have been brought along to enjoy the ride, simulating the presence
August 23, 2016 Read time: 1 min
Researchers at the highly prestigious MIT University in the US are developing technology for advanced autonomous vehicles, with the help of toy taxis and plastic ducks. The research team have set up a large test area to simulate urban streets, fitting cameras to the toy taxis to allow the development of sophisticated algorithms that will help in controlling full-sized autonomous vehicles when the work is complete. The plastic ducks meanwhile have been brought along to enjoy the ride, simulating the presence of (uncomplaining) passengers.

Related Content

  • Indra wins tolling deal in Philippine capital Manila
    April 10, 2013
    Indra is supplying its sophisticated urban traffic control system to Metro Manila, the Philippines’ main metropolitan region. The Metro Manila area has more than 11 million residents and accounts for a significant proportion of the country’s entire traffic volume. This technology was selected as it involves proven systems and is already implemented in a number of cities in China, Brazil, Colombia and Spain. Indra is also involved with the toll system for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), one of the nation'
  • Concrete - a competitive option for road construction?
    February 10, 2012
    The use of advanced control technology help boost the percentage of roads built using concrete - Mike Woof reports New technologies mean that concrete offers a highly competitive option for road construction.
  • Tackling Florida’s highway congestion
    August 5, 2016
    Congestion is a major problem in certain areas of US state Florida. Large number of commuters and tourists means that central Florida’s Interstate 4 (I-4) highway suffers particularly from congestion. Its proximity to Disneyland means that the traffic often comes to a complete standstill. A 2012 report from the Texas Transportation Institute ranked Orlando 13th in the US for traffic congestion, with more than 1.5 million daily trips on I-4. The report estimates that each frustrated commuter wastes about 45
  • Innovative testing boosts pavement quality
    February 16, 2012
    Innovative materials testing technology will allow the road sector to boost pavement quality, Mike Woof and Patrick Smith report. With billions being spent on highway construction worldwide, governments are looking to make sure their investments last as long as possible.