"It's fun to be on the forefront of all this:" Self-driving cars heading to Wisconsin



MADISON — What once seemed like science fiction is now on the horizon. Self-driving cars, also known as automated cars, are on their way to Wisconsin.

"To have those running fully autonomous, but maybe on a fixed route could be within five years," explained Peter Rafferty, a transportation researcher at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Contact 6's Jenna Sachs discusses the future of automated vehicles with Peter Rafferty at UW-Madison.



UW-Madison was recently selected as one of ten testing sites in the country for automated cars.

"The speed at which this is coming compels all of us to pay attention," Rafferty said.

Rafferty envisions a future where all vehicles are connected — where cars can communicate with traffic signals, the road and other vehicles. But before self-driving cars hit the streets, researchers have to make sure they're safe.

"That's why we take such a careful approach to having these vehicles tested and vetted on private facilities first, before they're put out to interact with the public," Rafferty said.

Rafferty and other researchers could soon be testing vehicle sensors, cameras, how a car responds to passengers, how it handles snow-covered roads or what happens if it gets a flat tire.

"What does the vehicle do if there's a malfunction? And then, how is that addressed on the fly?" Rafferty gave as an example of things the could soon be testing.

For the early stages of testing, researchers will need a closed track and will use Road America in Elkhart Lake.

"It's fun to be on the forefront of all this," said John Ewert, the communications director at Road America.

At Road America automated cars can be tested at various speeds and run through simulated real world scenarios.

"Four-way intersections with stop signs, on ramps, off ramps, bridges, different elevation changes," Ewert said.

Initial testing will also take place at the MGA Research Corporation site in Burlington.

After that, the cars with appear on the UW-Madison campus and the Epic campus in Madison. People may then see automated mini-buses running on fixed routes.

From there, the plan is for automated vehicles to move onto city streets and eventually highways.

UW-Madison campus



Representative Adam Neylon of Pewaukee is excited about the potential of self-driving cars and doesn't expect any major legislative road blocks.

"Our top priority is public safety, no question," Rep. Neylon said, "What I do want to see are smart policies to protect public safety while still allowing for the innovation to take place."

Rep. Neylon points to industry experts who predict automated cars will significantly cut down the number of accidents, injuries and deaths.

"Within the next 10 or 20 years, they might completely take over our roads," Neylon said.

There's no hard timeline for when automated cars are coming to UW-Madison, but Rafferty hopes to have at least one on campus within the year for a demonstration. The timing depends on when automotive companies and developers are ready to enter the testing phase.