SYDNEY, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Australia opened its first ever 5-star facility to test the safety of new technologies in autonomous vehicles, according to New South Wales (NSW) State Regional Transport and Roads Minister Paul Toole on Friday.
He said the disused airport site in Cudal, 300 km west of Sydney, would be a game-changer for the advanced industry.
"No longer will organizations and manufacturers be forced to test new vehicle technologies overseas to receive a safety rating. They'll be able to do it right here in NSW," Toole said.
The equipment will test emerging technologies such as communication between cars and traffic lights and continued development of smart highways, according to the minister.
"We also know universities and the private sector are keen to get out to the facility and start researching, and we look forward to seeing what they deliver to improve safety on our roads, as we work to drive the road toll toward zero."
While autonomous vehicle testing poses some significant technological hurdles when it comes to safety, in Australia the challenges are particularly unique.
"We're building a custom made testing centre in regional NSW where we can test technologies which will one day be able to respond to the unique challenges of regional Australia including unsealed roads and kangaroos," Toole said.
The facility will also provide a simulated and open road to test autonomous braking, lane departure warnings or speed control functions.
"In the near future it will also allow experts to test and refine emerging technologies such as vehicle to traffic signal communications, and complex vehicle-to-vehicle systems."
