The Queensland government has had a crack in the fully autonomous Renault call the “ZOE2”.
The Zoe2 has successfully navigated a trial road course featuring six kilometres of roundabouts, intersections and driveways in the Shailer Park, Brisbane.
Renault has spent $1.5 million developing the autonomous Zoe which will be used as a test vehicle to pit against the Sunshine State’s upgrading and readiness for autonomous driving.
In partnership with the Motor Accident Insurance Commission, the cooperative research centre iMOVE, and Queensland University of Technology’s CARRSQ division, the initiative will help the Palaszczuk government prepare for driverless cars.
Zoe2, capable of self-driving in defined areas with the driver supervision, is the result of a research effort between French consortium VEDECOM, and will make its first public appearance on Sunday August 18 at the QUT’s Robotronica event at its Gardens Point campus.
CARRS-Q Director Professor Andry Rakotonirainy says the Zoe2 is not only a unique research device, it’s also the work of collaboration between international parties.
“This vehicle will facilitate multidisciplinary investigations into how road users accept, adopt and cooperate with new automated systems,” he explains.
“This highly automated vehicle will assist in identifying and addressing policy, institutional, societal and regulatory challenges to ensure their safe integration into our transport system,” Rakotonirainy says.
Zoe2 has an 80kW electric motor with 300km of range courtesy of a 41kWh battery and packs Lidars, stereo camera, radar, GPS, IMU (inertial measurement unit) and weighs 1500kg.
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