Test Driving Connected and Automated Vehicles

A webinar with Velodyne Lidar and GoMentum Station discussed the importance of testing emerging connected and automated vehicles in a variety of environments to ensure the safety of their technologies.

The session, which included Pamela Gauci, Director, Events and Marketing at Velodyne Lidar, and Atul Acharya, Director of Autonomous Vehicles Strategy & Operations at GoMentum Station, was part of the Velodyne Lidar LIVE! digital learning series.

GoMentum Station is the nation’s largest dedicated secure testing facility for connected and automated vehicle technology. The facility in Concord, Calif. is owned and operated by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. Velodyne has used GoMentum Station to test Vella™, our breakthrough software for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that works with our lidar sensors.

Velodyne proprietary testing evaluated a highly-rated pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) system using camera and radar-based technology and Velodyne’s PAEB system that uses Vella and our Velarray H800 sensor. A video available online presents striking test results where the PAEB system using camera and radar-based technology failed in all six nighttime scenarios while the Velodyne PAEB solution avoided a crash in every situation.

Here are three takeaways from the Velodyne and GoMentum webinar:

1. Current safety protocols for PAEB are limited.

Atul noted while nearly 80 percent of vehicle-related pedestrian fatalities occur at night, AAA research shows that most pedestrian detection systems do not perform well at night. One issue is testing of safety protocols is primarily conducted during the day time. Atul called this a “disconnect.” It doesn’t address how vehicles are challenged in a range of real-world situations.   

2. GoMentum Station is more than a test track…it’s an ecosystem.

During the webinar, Atul discussed how GoMentum Station brings together autonomous vehicle (AV) technology companies and partners, as well as transportation authorities. He called it a “public-private engagement zone.” An ecosystem where organizations can conduct safety evaluations, share technical expertise and engage in business development.

3. AV companies need to earn public trust.

While AV technologies have a large potential to improve transportation safety and save lives, Atul said AV companies need to earn the trust of the public through good behavior over time. Earning this trust can fuel public confidence and AV tech adoption. Performing safety evaluations at proving grounds at no risk to the public can play a big role in developing safety cases for the public.  

Watch the full Velodyne Lidar and GoMentum Station webinar session below!