virginia-based company torc robotics has been working on autonomous vehicle tech for over ten years now and is currently developing a system for the consumer car market. they have recently put this torc self-driving system to the test with a round trip from their virginia HQ to the ford piquette avenue plant in detroit.
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according to torc robotics, the new device is driving in ‘all weather’ conditions and equipped with torc’s in-house localization, mapping, navigation and object detection/tracking systems.
a recent project saw them use 1,000 miles logged of autonomous driving in recent tests using two modified LEXUS RX vehicles. the trip to detroit marked a great accomplishment for the team by demonstrating the system’s ability on the long-distance drive. it’s early days yet for its consumer automotive business, but torc can act as a guide, helping players new to the space navigate the hype that is omnipresent in autonomous driving tech.

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the ford piquette plant destination was not chosen at random. torc co-founder and ceo michael fleming said he chose the plant for its historical significance. ‘we chose the birthplace of the model T as our destination, because it represents the start of a transportation revolution,’ fleming said. ‘self-driving vehicles are the next revolution; they have great potential to enhance all of our lives.’

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