Ford Tests Autonomous Fusion At University Of Michigan MCity

Ford has become the first automaker to test an autonomous car at a new testing facility built by the University of Michigan. The new testing facility is called MCity and it is a simulated urban environment designed to see how autonomous cars behave in the city where traffic rules are vastly different from the highway.

MCity is a full-scale simulated real-world urban environment and spans 32 acres and is part of the university's Mobility Transformation Center. Ford says that it has been testing autonomous cars for a decade now and is now expanding testing to realistic roads and neighborhoods to accelerate research of advanced sensing technologies.

MCity has streetlights, crosswalks, lane delineators, curb cuts, bike lanes, trees, hydrants, sidewalks, signs, traffic control devices, and construction barriers. Road surfaces are made with a variety of materials including concrete, asphalt, simulated brick, and dirt. There are also two, three, and four lane roads, ramps, roundabouts, and tunnels as well.

Ford has been testing its autonomous cars on public roads and at its own test facilities in Dearborn and Romeo, Michigan. Ford has autonomous tech in a variety of vehicles for testing today including the F-150, Edge, Explorer, Fusion, and Taurus.

SOURCE: Ford