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Mcity has opened its doors for remote testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies, aiming to accelerate research and development by enabling remote access to its testing facilities. The University of Michigan’s testing hub also announced a new partnership with MITRE and NVIDIA, aiming to develop full simulation capabilities. Mcity leaders are advocating for federal standards for AV safety testing to remove obstacles currently slowing down innovation.
Key Highlights
- Remote access allows researchers to test AV technologies using Mcity’s infrastructure from anywhere in the U.S.
- New partnership with MITRE and NVIDIA aims to enhance remote testing capabilities for both academic and industry users.
- Mcity 2.0 expands testing capabilities and targets increased speed and volume of AV research.
- Federal regulation is needed to create consistent safety standards, helping to streamline AV development.
Following two years of upgrades, the University of Michigan’s Mcity testing hub has launched its remote access program, allowing academic researchers to use its physical and virtual testing environments. This new initiative aims to make AV research more accessible, especially for institutions lacking the resources of larger universities. Researchers can access Mcity research vehicles and technology remotely, enabling the testing of autonomous systems from their own campuses. Initially, this remote access is funded by the National Science Foundation and available to academic institutions.
“This is particularly valuable for academic institutions, including many that serve minority students, that do not have the resources of large, public institutions like U-M,” said Henry Liu, U-M professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of both Mcity and the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation. “We call it Mcity 2.0—the next-generation automated vehicle test facility.
“We believe Mcity 2.0’s capabilities will expand the volume and increase the speed of AV research that will be conducted and published. This could help put more refined, safer AVs on our roads sooner.”
A new partnership announced at the NVIDIA AI Summit includes NVIDIA and MITRE, focusing on enhancing remote testing tools for both industry and academic use. This collaboration will develop a full simulation version of Mcity, allowing for comprehensive testing and validation of AVs.
Mcity is also inviting researchers from across the U.S. to join the effort by submitting proposals. Researchers will be able to connect to Mcity’s cloud-based digital infrastructure, controlling physical vehicles and traffic signals using 5G wireless communications. This approach will allow real-time data sharing and testing of autonomous algorithms in virtual and mixed reality environments while maintaining proprietary data protection.
“We invite researchers from across the country to connect with us and join the effort to accelerate developing and deploying connected and autonomous vehicles that will make transportation safer, cleaner and more accessible,” said Karen Thole, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering. “Please add your brain power to advancing tomorrow’s technologies.”
To further accelerate AV adoption, federal standards and regulations are essential. Henry Liu has called for federal leadership to define safety testing standards and provide funding. He stresses the importance of ensuring consistent evaluation methods for AV safety and addressing broader issues such as licensing, infrastructure readiness, and insurance.
“Ensuring safety is important for consumers, for autonomous vehicle developers, for the federal government as well,” Liu said in an interview with the Associated Press that was published Oct. 8. “The federal government has the responsibility to help set the minimum standard, to help provide guidance in terms of safety testing.”
Mcity has already developed a two-part safety assessment program. The first component tests driving algorithms in typical traffic situations, while the second challenges them with high-risk scenarios that frequently lead to accidents. This approach aims to bring safer autonomous vehicles to public roads sooner.
Originally opened in 2015 as the world’s first proving ground for AVs, Mcity’s expansion into remote testing with Mcity 2.0 marks a significant step toward advancing autonomous technologies and supporting research nationwide.
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