German car manufacturer Porsche has partnered with Kopernikus Automotive to test autonomous driving in the workshop.
The system relies primarily on artificial intelligence, which requires less sensor technology and reduces the costs of the technology.
Camera sensors were key, with the test site including the surrounding workshop environment being converted into a virtual representation to train an artificial neural network.
The autonomous driving is not programmed but the AI is trained using data, which Porsche says is the only way the system can be realized.
Alexander Haas, project manager for automated driving at the Porsche workshop, said, “This is a move away from sensors in the vehicle to sensors in the external environment, and a move away from relatively rigid programming to data-based intelligent systems.”
The test field consists of a customer service hall and its forecourt, with the vehicle driving autonomously from the parking space to the lifting platform and back.
Mechanics use a tablet to maneuver the car to the correct position in the workshop.
The tests are designed to prove the feasibility of autonomous driving in the workshop and give Porsche valuable information on artificial intelligence.
Porsche has also released a video to demonstrate the technology.
