Professor Ingmar Posner and Mobile Robotics Group Showcase Autonomous Vehicle Technology at Shell Eco-marathon

Representatives of the University of Oxford’s world-leading Mobile Robotics Group are demonstrating their Selenium mobile autonomy system at this year’s Shell Eco-Marathon Europe.           

Professor Ingmar Posner, Associate Professor in Engineering Science at Oxford University and Tutor in Engineering Science at Pembroke College, is one of the two Principal Investigators of the Mobile Robotics Group and the leader of the project.

Shell Eco-marathon Europe, which takes place as part of Make the Future London from 30th June to 3rd July, is a unique competition that challenges students around the world to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient car. For 2016, the event includes a special showcase of autonomous technology, featuring an ‘Autonomous UrbanConcept Vehicle’ equipped with cutting-edge software developed by Oxford’s robotics experts.

Selenium is the same technology that underpins the Oxford RobotCar – the UK’s first autonomous car approved for public trials – and the LUTZ project, which will bring autonomous pods to the pavements of Milton Keynes.

This Autonomous UrbanConcept Vehicle showcase, like Shell Eco-marathon as a whole, is designed to inspire the engineers and scientists of the future and demonstrate the progress being made with this revolutionary technology.

Prof. Posner commented: ‘This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Oxford’s Mobile Robotics Group to showcase the autonomous technology we have been working on for several years. We have been fortunate to receive tremendous support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which has allowed us to develop this technology to the stage where we are able to demonstrate it at a high-profile event like the Shell Eco-marathon.’

He continued: ‘But for us, the most important thing is that we are able to inspire the engineers of the future, who will be taking on challenges such as developing, testing and refining the autonomy technology that is set to revolutionise the worlds of mobility and transport. The prime challenge in the area of autonomous vehicles is trust, and to create this you need to get this technology out into controlled environments. This is why Shell Eco-marathon is outstanding, as it has always provided a real-world environment where students can experiment with new technologies in a safe manner.’

The Mobile Robotics Group was chosen by Shell because of its outstanding research in the area of land-based mobile autonomy, its proven ability to solve real world problems, and its dedication to further STEM education by providing inspiration, purpose and lower entry barriers to this field. 

Shell will be introducing the new Autonomous UrbanConcept Vehicle category into Shell Eco-marathon in 2018.

Watch Prof. Posner talking about his team's Autonomous Car in this video.

Pembroke has previously reported on the work of Prof. Ingmar Posner and colleagues from a boost in government funding for quantum technologies to an automotive innovation award.

Photos: The Mobile Robotics Group