Porsche tests autonomous driving

Porsche is testing autonomous driving in the company’s own workshop.

The test project is part of a collaboration relating to the Startup Autobahn innovation platform and is scheduled for completion in mid-2019.

This project involves Porsche working with start-up Kopernikus Automotive to install a test field on the company’s premises in Ludwigsburg.

The Berlin firm specialises in technology for self-driven cars, and the aim of the joint project is to enable vehicles to drive autonomously from their parking space to the lifting platform and back again.

Mechanics should be able to manoeuvre the sports cars to the correct position in the workshop, quickly and automatically, using a tablet.

“Autonomous driving will revolutionise our road traffic in just a few years. However, we can already use the technological possibilities available today to make work processes even more effective and efficient,” Porsche workshop automated driving project manager Alexander Haas says.

Results were presented at the Startup Autobahn Expo Day in Stuttgart’s Wagenhallen on February 21.

A virtual test run is planned over a million simulated test kilometres to train an artificial neural network before vehicles are driven into the workshop autonomously.

Finally, the use case is tested under real conditions.

“Our team will experience the use of autonomous driving in the workshop in test operation, and we want to learn from the team’s feedback,” aftersales product influencing head Thomas Eckert says.

The intention is that artificial intelligence (AI) technology will then not only handle vehicle orientation, but also independently identify and localise objects, and plan paths.

Extensive measures will be implemented to guarantee safety in the practical implementation stage of the test run, including a speed limit of 7km/h and the additional use of a human driver.

Porsche has been a partner in the Startup Autobahn innovation platform initiated since 2017, with the aim of bringing innovative start-ups from all over the world to Stuttgart with their ideas. Companies which have joined forces include Porsche, Daimler, the University of Stuttgart, Arena 2036, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, DXC Technology, ZF Friedrichshafen and BASF.

They collaborate with start-ups in specific pilot projects that run over about 100 days.

Porsche has implemented around 50 projects as part of Startup Autobahn during the past two years.