High-tech road revs up driverless testing in Moscow

Driverless cars are already appearing on public roads around the world, and Russian developers also have the ambition to introduce self-driving technology to consumers.
 
Yandex recently posted a YouTube video showing the test of its driverless vehicle prototype, and state-owned KAMAZ plans to unveil a driverless truck during the 2018 World Cup. 
 
This week, a new road for self-driving cars was launched in Moscow. It’s only 400 meters long, and imitates city streets with signs, bus stops, and pedestrian pathways. 
 
Officials at tech companies which are developing driverless technology think the new road is more suitable for early stage startups. 
 
“It’s impossible to create a real-life environment on a small testing area,” said Andrey Chernogorov, general director of Moscow-based Cognitive Technologies. 
 
Such high-tech roads are a good way to kickstart the testing of a new technology during the prototype stage. “A new and advanced technology has to be tested on a public road, but unfortunately this option is not yet available in Russia,” he said.  
 
The company is currently testing driverless technology on U.S. roads, where local legislation permits it.   
 

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