180-year-old law hinders robotic vehicle testing in the UK

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    summer, testing of Lutz Pathfinder robotic vehicles is due to begin in 4 cities in southeast UK. According to plans, they will have to move along pedestrian paths and sidewalks along specially designated routes for this. However, a bureaucratic barrier could obstruct the government’s intentions : a law passed by the country's parliament 180 years ago. Highway Act 1835 prohibits riding on horse-drawn carriages along the sidewalks, as well as simply riding a horse, donkey, mule, pig, or any other kind of cattle. This is not a legal incident at all, on the contrary, the law is still used to prohibit cycling on footpaths.

    British Transport Secretary Claire Perry at a special event organized by the government introduced the autonomous Lutz Pathfinder back in February this year. The electric car was developed by the Transport Systems Catapult Research Institute in collaboration with the University of Oxford's Mobile Robotics Group . Thanks to the country's authorities, the regulatory framework for testing Lutz is ready.

    The electric car was specially designed for movement on footpaths in urban conditions, so its speed and maximum travel distance on a single battery charge are limited. It will not be possible to accelerate by more than 15 mph (24 km / h, 7 m / s), as well as drive a route longer than 40 miles (65 km). Battery car can provide movement for 8 hours. In addition to autonomous movement, it is possible to transfer control to the driver. For orientation and control, Lutz Pathfinder provides a range of sensors and sensors. There are 19 circular panoramic cameras, radars and laser rangefinders to build a "virtual environment" of the electric car and ensure safe movement. Navigation provides the mode: "He said the point of arrival and drove off."

    However, Tim Armitage, director of the UK Autodrive project, is confident that the bureaucratic barrier for testing the robocar can be overcome. What Lutz Pathfinder looks like in motion can be seen in the video below:


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