Autonomous driving test specialist AstaZero is building the world’s longest indoor track for testing self-driving vehicles, located in Hällered, outside Borås, Sweden.
The company notes that many of the advanced cameras and sensors required for future road safety systems need to be tested and verified in repeatable lighting conditions such as backlighting and shadows. Peter Janevik, CEO of AstaZero, thus posed the question, “How do we provide a controlled outdoor environment in an environment that is largely characterized by rain, snow and darkness during part of the year?”
AstaZero’s answer is a 700 x 40m indoor test track, with a central section 140m long and 60m wide. The company says the facility will be able to house trucks, buses and cars, thanks to a ceiling height of 4.6m.
“Tomorrow’s road safety system requires an enormous amount of testing, which means work around the clock, 365 days a year. With our new indoor track, we will provide daylight and dry road tracks at 03.00am on a November night,” added Janevik.
The indoor track is scheduled to open in February 2021.