Bosch to conduct trials of Automated Vehicle System in Australia

German company Bosch has been approved by the Australian government to conduct trials of Self-driving car system on the country’s rural roads.

The company was granted AU$2.3M under an initiative called Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) Trial Grants Program. The trials will be carried on the rural Victorian roads. The government made a regulation in 2018 to support the new permit scheme, it is necessary to operate a self-driving vehicle.

The ADS permit allows anybody to conduct tests on self-driving vehicles, its safety and support the development of automated capabilities. The permit also assists the development of automated capabilities, helping highway authorities to keep an eye and manage the use and impacts of self-driving vehicles on roads.

In 2017, VicRoads, a statutory corporation in Australia sought the interest of various industry bodies, companies to apply for fundings in order to boost the development of self-driving vehicle technology, most importantly if it had the capability to prevent accidents and cut down on deaths and injuries on the roads.

In 2016, both Bosch and the Victorian government invested AU$1.2 M. The development was carried out in partnership with VicRoads and Transport Accident Commission, to launch Australia’s first autonomous vehicle.

According to the acting premier, Jacinta Allan, currently, the German company is focusing on the self-driving vehicle technology and this year the company will start testing the technology on high-speed rural roads. The tests will be carried out on roads that expose the self-driving vehicle to certain conditions like weather, infrastructure,and traffic.