Deploying driverless vehicles presents a significant challenge, and the Landago project, aimed at developing an advanced autonomous mobility model, has already carried out several work sessions on the road between Abaltzisketa and Amezketa. This week, further tests will be conducted along this route, and a supervision post for the vehicle has been set up at the Logikaline company in Abaltzisketa.
Jon Ander Iñiguez de Gordoa, a researcher from the company Vicomtech, explained that they have performed "many tests" in recent months, including emergency braking tests using dummies to simulate pedestrians. He highlighted that these tests went "very well" and recalled that this area encompasses many characteristics of rural roads in Gipuzkoa: narrow curves, cyclists, and steep gradients.
In this week's tests, the vehicle's "lateral control" and obstacle avoidance maneuvers will be explored. "These tests allow us to gather and analyze a lot of information and data, and based on them, predict the characteristics of this area," stated Iñiguez de Gordoa. The goal is to understand how to adapt these technologies for future use in rural areas.
Iñiguez de Gordoa clarified that Landago is not a project to launch a commercial autonomous transport service, but rather aims to prepare Gipuzkoa, and particularly its rural areas, for this future autonomous technology and to collect the necessary information.
Furthermore, a "significant step" has been taken regarding vehicle monitoring, with the launch of a supervision post in collaboration with Logikaline in Abaltzisketa. Autonomous transport does not mean the complete disappearance of human involvement; an operator will be needed at a monitoring post to oversee the system's performance and take control in case of unforeseen events.
The project is a broad collaboration between the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Basque Government, MUBIL, and the consortium comprising Vicomtech, BasqueCCAM, and Eurogap. Xabier Arruti, the provincial deputy for Green Territorial Balance, emphasized that one of the project's objectives is to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, aiming to "launch the autonomous car in the rural areas of Gipuzkoa at the same time it arrives in Donostia." Unai Andueza Iraeta, Director General of Economic Promotion, highlighted the project's importance "because it positions us at the forefront" and will offer opportunities to promote the economy in sectors that will emerge in the coming years.
