Nov. 11, 2013—The University of Michigan is working with the auto industry and government officials on plans to bring a fleet of networked, driverless vehicles to Ann Arbor, Mich., by 2021, the university's Mobility Transformation Center said in a statement Friday.
The project would make the city a leader in 21st century mobility, said Peter Sweatman, director of the University’s Transportation Research Institute. The main focus of the project, he said, is to ensure self-driving vehicles can be safe, effective and commercially successful.
Officials at the University of Michigan also approved a $6.5 million facility for testing automated vehicles last month as part of a connected vehicle project, called Safety Pilot, involving about 3,000 area residents.