Ford Triples Autonomous Vehicle Development Fleet

To help its cause, Ford is integrating the all-new Velodyne Ultra Puck auto sensor into its Fusion hybrid/autonomous vehicles to help out with 3D mapping and precision during its testing.

Ford recently announced its fully autonomous cars will take to the streets of California this year. The newest generation of sensor, which will be fitted to the newly expanded test fleet, has a range of more than 200 meters and is capable of handling multiple driving scenarios.

Ford Motor Co said Tuesday it plans to triple to 30 the size of its fleet of self-driving test cars as part of an effort to accelerate autonomous vehicle development.

Autonomous cars are perhaps best recognized by the large LIDAR (light detection and ranging) laser imaging sensors that sit on the roof, often containing a spinning sensor that maps everything around the vehicle.

Third-generation autonomous Fusion Hybrid sedans will have supplemental features and duplicate wiring for power, steering and brakes.

These cars will use Velodyne’s new Solid-State Hybrid Ultra Puck lidar sensor.

In an announcement coinciding with the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Ford said it would begin using a new, lower-cost LiDAR sensor made by California-based Velodyne. Ford used an F-250 Super Duty in the original DARPA challenges during in 2005 and 2007; however, in 2013 Ford started using their Fusion Hybrid sedan, chosen because it uses Ford’s most advanced electrical architecture when it comes to computers and sensors.

Ford was one of only six teams to participate in both the DARPA Desert Classic and Urban Finals challenges, supported by four engineers who still are on the company’s autonomous vehicle development team today. “A decade ago, no one in the field knew what the art of the possible was”.

Ford is mashing the dash on its plans for autonomous vehicles.

In comparison to Google, Ford’s expanded fleet will still be small.

Meanwhile, Ford continues using and honing other sensor types, including cameras, radar and ultrasonic devices, to deliver semi-autonomous features to customers today.