Feature: Project to help blind drive vehicles wins 29 mln USD British gov't funding

A project that will pave the way for visually impaired people to drive vehicles on Monday won 29 million U.S. dollars funding from the British government.

The funding of eight innovative projects is the first allocation of cash from the government's 143-million-U.S.-dollar Intelligent Mobility Fund.

It will pay towards research and the development of enhanced communication between vehicles and roadside infrastructure or urban information systems, including new "talking car technologies."

Insight, a project to develop driverless shuttles with advanced sensors and control systems, has won funding for a three-year project backed by Birmingham City University.

The all-British consortium aims to establish Britain at the forefront of driverless vehicle technology for testing driverless vehicles with a particular emphasis on the mobility requirements of blind and visually impaired users.

Julian Turner, CEO Westfield Sportscars, lead company in the consortium, said: "What is exciting about this project is that a number of visually impaired people have been part of the team. The input from them has been invaluable in coming up with a model that meets their specific needs."

"This really will mean people who are blind or visually impaired having access to a mobility never imagined previously. They will be able to board their vehicle, set the co-ordinates of their journey and their vehicle will take them there, safely," he added.

Umar Daraz, of Birmingham City University, said: "driverless vehicles for mobility of all of our citizens will become a reality in the very near future and this project represents a major milestone in realizing that vision."

Government Business Secretary Sajid Javid announced the first allocation of funds on a visit to the autonomous vehicles test bed in Nuneaton.

As well as the development of autonomous shuttles to carry visually-impaired passengers using advanced sensors and control systems, the projects include new simulation trials for autonomous pods to increase uptake and improve real-world trials.

Trials to test driverless cars on the streets are currently being worked on in Bristol, Coventry and Milton Keynes and Greenwich. Autonomous vehicles are also being used in Heathrow to shuttle passengers, although these are currently on designated tracks.

A spokesman for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said: "Today's funding will help strengthen the UK as a global centre for the fast-growing intelligent mobility market, estimated to be worth 900 billion pounds per year globally by 2025."

Secretary Javid said: "Our cars of the future will be equipped with the technologies that will make getting from A to B safer, faster, and cleaner."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "These projects will help profoundly change the way we travel within years, transforming our roads by making travel a simpler experience for drivers, reducing accidents and helping traffic flow more smoothly."

"This is a landmark moment and will allow Britain to lead the way in the testing of connected and autonomous vehicles," he added.

The largest of the eight projects to be funded, receiving just over 8 million dollars, is the UK Connected Intelligent Transport Environment (UKCITE) project to create the most advanced environment for testing connected and autonomous vehicles. It involves equipping over 40 miles (64.3 km) of urban roads, dual-carriageways and motorways with combinations of talking car technologies.

One of the participants is the British arm of Chinese technology company Huawei. Two British universities, Coventry and Warwick, are also involved in the project. Endit