Jaguar Land Rover, the U.K.’s largest automotive manufacturer, said the company is partnering with global software, mobility, and telecom companies to bring the Future of Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) to life. This smart city hub will allow real-world testing of connected technology, including self-driving vehicles that will share streets with cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. The site will be located in Ireland’s Limerick-Shannon metropolitan area.
FMCI CEO Russell Vickers said, “The smart city zone provides a first-class facility for global companies to work together and develop world-leading technology, from autonomous vehicles to connected infrastructure. The testbed provides an opportunity to test in the real world and help answer some of the questions posed by the future of mobility in a collaborative and efficient way.”
According to a press release, the collaborative testbed will encompass nearly 7.5 miles of public roads. As part of the trials, the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE will be deployed for testing. Companies including Cisco, Seagate, Renovo, Red Hat, Valeo, and Mergon are also on board.
The FMCI facility will be equipped with sensors throughout the site, high-accuracy location systems, a data management and control center, and self-driving prototype vehicles. It will feature smart junctions, connected roads, autonomous parking, electric vehicle charging, and links to a 280-mile stretch of connected highway and a managed air traffic corridor for unmanned aerial vehicles.
The luxury car manufacturer says the project is part of its commitment to making societies safer and healthier with pioneering technology. “This partnership with FMCI provides us with a real-world facility to trial our emerging autonomous, connected, electrified, and shared technology in a strategic location,” said John Cormican, General Manager, Shannon, Ireland, Jaguar Land Rover. “Collaborating with top-tier software companies will allow us to develop our future systems more efficiently.”
Reader Interactions