Autonomous Mini-Vans Are Now Being Tested On North Texas Roadways

Even though we don’t have flying cars just yet, automotive technology is advancing pretty quickly.  In fact, you may see some driverless cars on the roadways soon.  That’s because one company will be testing self-driving mini-vans on the Texas roadways soon.

Earlier this week Aurora, which is an autonomous tech firm, announced that it will begin testing self-driving mini-vans in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.  The company has contracted with Toyota to outfit several Sienna mini-vans with their Autono-Mass platform, that is designed to operate self-driving automobiles.

Aurora will be testing each self-driving mini-van to see if it can successfully make U-turns, and change lanes safely.  Every vehicle will also be tested to see if it can detect motorcycles, construction vehicles, and other road hazards.

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These self-driving mini-vans won’t be limited to driving on the public streets either.  Aurora also plans on testing the vehicles at highway speeds up to 70 mph on a simulated ride-hailing route.  This simulated route will see if the self-driving vehicles can operate safely on the freeway, driving to and from popular destinations such as the airport.

Now this self-driving technology hasn’t been perfected just yet, and is still in the testing phase. To prevent any accidents from happening, each mini-van will be equipped with not just one, but two backup human drivers to address any problems that may arise. Aurora hasn’t announced a launch date for their autonomous vehicle technology yet, but one thing is for sure.  We are one step closer to seeing self-driving cars on highways across the country.