Ford Australia has joined six Australian universities in an $11 million program to develop autonomous vehicle technology for extreme and remote environments, potentially positioning Australia as a global leader in specialised vehicle automation.
The ARC Training Centre for Automated Vehicles for Rural and Remote Regions (AVR3) brings together researchers from Queensland University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Deakin University, Sydney University, University of Technology Sydney, and University of Western Australia alongside industry partners including Ford.
The collaboration targets applications beyond typical urban automation, focusing on dangerous environments such as bushfire zones, mining operations, and remote agricultural areas where human safety is at risk.
“Australia has unique uses for autonomous vehicles. What we want to do is develop autonomous vehicle technology that helps remove risk to human life in situations like bushfires, makes roads safer by automating monotonous driving tasks like those on farms, and frees up humans so they can do other work, like freeing up paramedics to deliver patient care rather than driving,” said Professor Sebastian Glaser, Centre Director of AVR3, headquartered at QUT.
Addressing automation gaps in harsh conditions
Current vehicle automation development globally focuses primarily on urban environments for applications like last-mile delivery. However, extreme terrain, smoke, flood conditions, and remote roads present additional challenges including lack of lane markings, steep gradients, and large wildlife encounters.
The AVR3 program specifically addresses these gaps, with the Ford Ranger and Ranger Superduty serving as the development platform for the automation technology.
“When our Aussie team was working on Ranger and Ranger Superduty, we spoke to customers across heavy industry – mining, agriculture, forestry, emergency services – to really understand their day-to-day work and the exposure they have to harsh conditions,” said Jeremy Welch, Special Projects Engineer at Ford Australia.
“It was clear to us that these customers needed extremely heavy-duty vehicles, but we also saw that they could benefit from automation for risk management, productivity, and cost.”
Welch said Ford designed the Ranger as a “smart truck” to facilitate easier integration of autonomous technology for future automation applications.
Expanding existing automation uses
Mining companies already use automated Ford Rangers in some operations. The AVR3 program aims to expand these applications, particularly focusing on safe automation use on public roads.
Professor Glaser said the opportunities extend across multiple sectors. “The opportunities are endless – there are so many uses that we can test for in Australia and that could benefit people outside urban areas.”
The program represents a significant industry-academic collaboration model, with Distinguished Professor Saeid Nahavandi, Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Chief of Defence Innovation at Swinburne University of Technology, highlighting its importance.
“This collaboration exemplifies the impact of strong industry-academic partnerships in advancing research and innovation, pushing the frontiers of science, and delivering meaningful benefits for society,” Nahavandi said.
The AVR3 program demonstrates how Australian conditions and requirements are driving innovation that could establish the country as a centre for extreme-environment vehicle automation technology.
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