Wounded warriors test AV

A self-driving Jaguar Land Rover Sport vehicle was tested by Invictus Games competitors ahead of the October Sydney event for wounded, injured or sick armed service personnel and veterans.

United Kingdom team captain Mark ‘Dot’ Perkins and Italian team member Simone Careddu joined former competitors Jamie Weller and JJ Chalmers to ride in the Level 4 autonomous SUV on public roads in Milton Keynes, which has some of the UK’s most complicated roads.

Games presenting partner Jaguar Land Rover says the autonomous vehicle (AV) successfully navigated roundabouts, traffic lights, speeds of up to 80km/h, junctions and lane changes.

These innovations, developed as part of the UK Autodrive Consortium, address technical challenges posed by urban environments including pedestrians, cyclists, security and infrastructure.

The competitors’ feedback will help Jaguar Land Rover understand how autonomous technology could improve the lives of millions of people living with limited mobility.

“Technology has moved on so much, I already feel prehistoric,” Perkins says. “As my children grow up it will seem extraordinary to them that people used to physically drive cars.”

Veteran Royal Navy aircraft engineer Jamie Weller, who suffered a visual impairment during his military career, says the technology has so many positive benefits for anyone living with a disability.

Jaguar Land Rover autonomous research engineer Jim O’Donoghue says the competitors’ insight has been invaluable.

“We are already working with industry, academia and government to bring self-driving cars to the roads within the next 10 years, with the ambition of zero accidents, zero emissions and zero congestion for future generations.”

He says adding zero mobility barriers to the list would be a huge achievement.

The fourth games from October 20-27 include sports such as wheel-chair basketball, indoor rowing and sitting volleyball.

Visit www.invictusgames2018.org

for more information.