This week, a small Witney, UK-based company specializing in vehicle targets for autonomous testing inflated the world’s longest inflatable tunnel.
Moshon Data inflated the 122m (400ft) tunnel for a well-known international company to test its sensors in complete darkness. The tunnel simulates a night-time environment and can be used for testing pedestrian detection technology used in current vehicles and future autonomous cars.
To test pedestrian detection in the dark, many companies undertake testing in the middle of the night, when the sky is at its darkest. During the summer months this may only allow for a couple of hours’ testing, and this is where Moshon Data’s unique tunnel comes in – once inflated, it provides a near perfect environment, with controlled luminance.
Both semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles can be tested with the aim of reducing pedestrian fatalities in the future. Testing procedures include using a robotic pedestrian walking out from behind a wall to simulate a real-life scenario.
