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Volvo has announced new plans to test its self-driving vehicles out on public roads.
The car manufacturer says it wants to begin trialling 100 ‘highly automated’ SUVs by 2017 (via AutoExpress).
These self-driving vehicles will be tested out on the roads of Gothenburg, Sweden, following successful tests of the autopilot system’s reliability.
Dr Peter Mertens, Volvo’s senior vice president of research and development, said: “Autonomous driving will fundamentally change the way the way we look at driving.”
“In the future, you will be able to choose between autonomous and active driving.”
The Swedish firm has been testing out its Drive Me project since last year. Drive Me is the company’s attempt to make driving completely autonomous.
The Drive Me system sees Volvo vehicles crammed full of long-range sensors, giving the computer systems a 360-degree view around the car.
There’s also a trifocal camera built in, which is used to look out for pedestrians and other road hazards.
Volvo plans to put real-world commuters in its cars for the 2017 trials as part of the test drive scheme.
Related: Driverless Cars: Everything you need to know
On a somewhat related note, the UK government recently promised to fully review the nation’s motoring legislation in 2017.
This would involve changing both the Highway Code and the MOT test to pave the way for the burgeoning driverless tech.
The government also says a code of practice will be unveiled this spring that will outline rules and regulations for autonomous vehicle testing in the UK.
