SA to invest $10m in autonomous vehicles

The South Australian government will invest $10 million to boost testing, research and development of connected and autonomous car technologies in the state.

At the 23rd World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, SA Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mulligan announced that the government is inviting grant applications for the fund, which is worth $10 million over three years.

Companies, industry bodies, research institutions and other organisations will from next month be able to submit proposals for grant funding.

Investment will be focused on three themes — autonomous vehicle testing and demonstrations in both off-road and real-world conditions, connected vehicle-to-vehicle infrastructure pilots and demonstrations, and innovative R&D proposals.

To be eligible, projects must take place in Australia, but international partners have been encouraged to participate by partnering with South Australian SMEs, universities or other organisations.

South Australia staged the first on-road trials of autonomous vehicle technologies in the Southern Hemisphere and also introduced Australia’s first legislation to allow for these trials.

“Connected and autonomous vehicles can deliver huge benefits to South Australia — they have the capacity to reduce congestion, save lives and help people get around our community with more freedom,” Mulligan said.

“We need to know more about what changes are needed to our roads and our laws so that this technology can improve safety on the roads, improve mobility for people with disabilities and reduce congestion and emissions.”

He said South Australia already has a significant autonomous and connected vehicle industry, consisting of companies including Cohda Wireless, SAGE Automation and Sydac.

“Transforming the South Australian economy depends on our ability to adopt new ways of doing things, using advanced technologies to build globally competitive, high-value firms and sustainable, well-paid jobs. It is estimated that the driverless vehicle industry will be worth $90 billion globally by 2030. Getting our state involved early will open up new opportunities for South Australian businesses and our economy,” Mulligan said.

The government is also working with Sydac and SAGE Automation to showcase South Australian innovations in the field at the conference this week.

On display is the Addinsight smartphone application, developed by the SA department of planning transport and infrastructure, which uses Bluetooth receivers to monitor Adelaide’s road network in real time.

SAGE Automation’s Addinsight Bluetooth Capture Station will be showcased. The unit is solar powered and can transmit data via either 3G or fixed line networks. SAGE is also promoting its automation and control system capabilities, while Sydac is promoting its vehicle simulation system development capabilities, including one of its realistic truck driving simulators.

“Addinsight is a great example of South Australian ingenuity. This state-of-the-art technology was developed right here in South Australia by the department of planning, transport and infrastructure, with a view to exporting it to the world,” Mulligan commented.

“Already there is interest in adopting the technology interstate and overseas, with plans to sell the technology to Melbourne, Auckland, Hobart, Brisbane and Canberra.”

Image courtesy of Steve Jurvetson under CC