A person was hidden in a self-driving car to achieve realism

American residents wondered why arms and legs were sticking out of the chair in the mysterious car.

@AdamTuss

On August 4, a correspondent for ARLnow.com filmed an unmanned Ford Transit driving along the roads of Arlington County. The car did not have identification marks, logos of any company or lidar sensors, which are necessary for orientation on the road.

The Virginia Department of Transportation explained that the state does not have laws regulating the testing of self-driving cars. Police confirmed that testing of driverless vehicles is being conducted in the Arlington area, but the department has not encountered this particular Ford Transit.

On August 7, an NBC Washington journalist approached a car parked at a traffic light. He posted photos and videos of a man disguised as a car seat sitting inside and driving the car.

NBC contacted Virginia Tech Transportation, which admitted to testing autonomous vehicles. In the study, the driver was placed under the seat to get “a more realistic reaction from people to the car.”

The seat is designed in such a way as to make the driver less visible, but still able to control the car and react to what is happening around him.

Virginia Tech Transportation

Virginia Tech assured that it tested its “unmanned” car first in empty areas, then in areas with low traffic density, and only then on city roads.

#technology #autopilot