Millbrook Unveils Cutting-Edge Self-Driving Test Facility at Cenex-LCV

Millbrook is hosting the Cenex-LCV and Cenex-Connected Automated Mobility events this week on September 4th and 5th, where they will officially open their new Autonomous Village. This specialized center is dedicated to testing connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

Last year’s event was a big success, drawing in a record 4,300 attendees and over 250 exhibitors. This has set high expectations for this year’s events.

The Autonomous Village features six custom-built workshops designed to support every aspect of self-driving vehicle development, including mechanical work, integration, and software development. These facilities are suitable for everything from passenger cars to buses.

Millbrook Proving Ground offers 70km of secure test tracks, a private 5G-enabled mobile network, and state-of-the-art physical and virtual infrastructure. It’s an ideal setting for gathering data and rigorously testing automated driving systems in a safe environment. Users can run various test routes with different levels of complexity, including scenarios created with synchronized ADAS targets. They can also analyze data either in real-time or after completing the test routes.

The opening of the Autonomous Village marks the readiness of the Millbrook-Culham Urban test bed, which was first announced at the end of 2017. This facility is co-funded by the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) through Zenzic as part of the Connected & Autonomous Vehicles Test Beds competition.

Daniel Ruiz, CEO of Zenzic, commented, “The Autonomous Village offers world-class facilities for testing self-driving vehicles and plays a key role in Testbed UK, which Zenzic coordinates. It’s the only place globally where you can take an idea from concept to development within a three-hour drive.”

The test bed is accessible to everyone, including global OEMs, SMEs, and start-ups at various stages of development. It provides a mix of real-world and simulated environments and real-time connectivity, which is essential for testing software, sensors, cyber security, and telecommunications.

Alex Burns, president of Millbrook, added, “We are committed to offering flexible, efficient workspaces equipped to meet all testing and development needs. The opening of our Autonomous Village is a significant advancement in the development of connected and self-driving vehicles in the UK.”