Continuing its effort to act as a testing ground for innovative technologies, the city of Sacramento has paved the way for autonomous vehicle technology testing.
The city's pilot will include three routes, mapped out by Deepen AI. Deepen will use artificial intelligence and data collection by people and drones to gather information about the routes.
Foresight AI will provide the drones, which include lidar (light detection and ranging) cameras and GPS. Both companies will use the data to create detailed maps that will be accessible via an online portal.
The maps will, in turn, be used as the basis for autonomous vehicles to move throughout the city.
The pilot is scheduled for three months and will start in February. The Demonstration Partnership Agreement will limit the project cost to $25,000 or less, including all labor to map the routes, according to city public information officer Mary Lynne Vellinga. That money comes from the Innovation & Growth Fund's City Hall Tech Program.
