Augmented Reality and Connected Automated Vehicles

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) must be tested extensively before they can be deployed and accepted by the general public. Currently, CAV testing and evaluation are primarily conducted in two ways: on public roads and in closed test facilities. 

There are two significant limitations of public road testing. First, safety is a critical issue because the technology is still at the development stage. The second critical problem is the testing efficiency. However, the closed testing facility can’t provide the same realistic traffic environment as found in the real-world, where multiple road users can interact with the testing CAVs. 

To address this limitation, researchers at the University of Michigan have developed an augmented reality (AR) environment for CAV testing and evaluation, and are conducting research sponsored by the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT), the Region 5 University Transportation Center.