Sharper testing delivers better AV performance

As self-driving car technology moves toward commercial deployment, engineers encounter a scaling challenge that mirrors issues seen in other complex critical safety systems: validation. Demonstrating that autonomous vehicles operate safely and robustly across diverse real-world conditions requires testing capabilities that challenge conventional automotive validation methods.

Project Certus delivers a targeted response to this challenge. Established in 2023 with funding from the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles, this research and development project focuses on enhancing both the effectiveness and depth of autonomous vehicle testing while maintaining rigorous safety standards. The collaboration brings together HORIBA MIRA as the lead organization, working alongside Polestar, IPG Automotive, the Connected Places Catapult, and Coventry University. Recent developments have centred on advancing how confidence in system performance is quantified and integrated into engineering decision-making. Certus' core principles include extracting greater understanding from reduced test quantities, facilitating superior engineering judgment, and minimizing both development timelines and expenses associated with deploying reliable autonomous vehicle technology.