If there’s one automotive event that links the automobile’s glorious past with its promising future, it is arguably the Goodwood Festival of Speed. This affair sees some of the most iconic rides side by side with more than a few models that give us a glimpse of things to come.
So it’s quite a treat to see the annual Hillclimb being done using a driverless vehicle. And we’re not referring to any futuristic rig here. The car in question is a 1965 Ford Mustang. A joint effort between electronics giant Siemens and Cranfield University, the Mustang has been outfitted with the necessary devices that will help the car steer, brake, and accelerate throughout the curse.
Since this is a classic car, it wasn’t as straightforward as engineers would have wanted. There are no electronic power steering systems to speak of, for instance, which means engineers had to put extra effort in ensuring that the car tracks true, especially in the numerous corners going up the hill. This was aided by a three-dimensional scan of the track to help connected car awareness.. It’s like giving the car a navigation map that it can study beforehand.
Of course, all this will be put to the test once the Autonomous Hillclimb gets underway today, July 12, in Goodwood.
