British start-up converts Ford electric vans into autonomous vehicles
Oxa wants to be able to equip almost any vehicle with self-driving technology. This has already worked with two electric vans from Ford.
The two Ford electric vans converted with Oxa technology: a Ford minibus at the front and a Ford Transit behind.
(Image: Oxa)
The British start-up Oxa, formerly Oxbotica, has equipped an electric Ford Transit and a Ford minibus with its proprietary self-driving technology Reference Autonomy Design (RAD). The company announced this on Tuesday. Existing electric vehicles can be converted into autonomous vehicles using this technology, Oxa software and other systems – also in series production.
Conversion to autonomous driving
Almost any electric car can be used as a host vehicle for Oxa's RAD system. This should enable these vehicles to drive autonomously. In addition to RAD, the "Driven by Oxa" software as well as various sensors, a computing system and a drive-by-wire system are also used.
Oxa relies on a process in which the RADs are precisely defined, validated and then manufactured in advance before they can be installed in specific vehicle types. The aim is to transform these cars into autonomous vehicles. According to Oxa, this is also a viable way of scaling up the manufacture of such vehicles to mass production.
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In the two converted electric vehicles from Ford, cameras, lidar and radar are used to give the vehicle 360-degree perception. At the same time, this also enables remote recognition to make autonomous driving possible. In a first step, however, autonomous driving is limited to 35 km/h. The vehicles are still equipped with manual controls and can still be driven conventionally.
Oxa states that the vehicles will undergo a thorough evaluation and testing program before they hit the road. This includes real and simulated driving in controlled environments. Oxa uses digital twins of the vehicles and generative artificial intelligence (AI) in simulation drives.
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The converted Ford delivery van is intended to be suitable for use in logistics, while the minibus can be used for transporting passengers on public transport routes.
(olb)
