ACAMP’s first successful driverless vehicle demonstrations puts Alberta tech in the fast lane
EDMONTON, Alberta (PRWEB) November 21, 2017 -- Just as objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, driverless vehicles are nearer to becoming a reality than you might think. Surprisingly, many of the technologies that will make it possible are being developed in Alberta, Canada.
ACAMP, an advanced technology development center, has conducted multiple driverless vehicle demonstrations over the past month, featuring made-in-Alberta technologies and problem-solving. The tests featured a navigation system developed by NovAtel and systems developed by ACAMP and other local small to mid-sized companies. The vehicle created becomes a platform for further testing of systems.
Advanced technologies were tested in an E6 electric vehicle platform provided by BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. These autonomous vehicle tests have already attracted attention from some of the biggest global names in technology and interest across Canada. (twitter.com/ACAMP/AutonomousDemo)
As a car company that is aiming to be at the forefront of the transition to driverless systems, BYD sees the potential that Alberta companies are bringing to the table.
“The Alberta technologies being tested line up with our future needs for autonomous systems in electric vehicles. We are pleased to be a part of the AST consortium and support the work of ACAMP,” says Ted Dowling, Vice President of BYD Canada.
The demonstration is the result of an ACAMP-led initiative called the Advanced Systems for Transportation (AST) Consortium. It was developed to promote collaboration between Alberta businesses, multinational manufacturers directly or indirectly associated with the automotive industry, academic institutions and government organizations developing policy. The consortium is helping Alberta tech companies gain a foothold in the $102 Billion Autonomous Systems market (which includes driverless vehicles, smart infrastructure and transportation innovations).
NovAtel is pleased to be a member of the AST Consortium and can attest to how the initiative has translated into economic benefits in Alberta. “By showcasing our technologies for navigation in the AST autonomous vehicle project demonstration we further enable Alberta-based development of autonomous systems, which will in turn attract investment and increase sales globally for all of us.”, says Michael Ritter, CEO, NovAtel
Alberta’s Soltare is developing advanced emergency vehicle detection systems with ACAMP and is excited by the AST Consortium. “It’s helping us pursue global contracts, and will result in us hiring more engineers in Alberta to support our growth,” explains Soltare’s President, Warren Sheydwasser.
Specializing in advanced technology commercialization, ACAMP is an industry-led product development centre. Its specialized engineering team helps entrepreneurs commercialize their technologies by transforming prototypes into viable working products. ACAMP has worked with over 350 corporations to bring their ideas to life.
“Alberta has long been a leader in developing innovative, world-class Oil & Gas technologies. ACAMP is supporting tech company product development and commercialization, setting their sights on next-generation transportation and infrastructure solutions. Which is only possible due to Alberta’s visionary entrepreneurs, a highly-educated workforce along with post-secondary research institutions,” explains Ken Brizel, CEO ACAMP.
Rosy Amlani, ACAMP, http://www.acamp.ca, 780-468-2443, [email protected]
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