Tag Archive for: Waymo

Gomentum Station Responds to New AV Research

By the GoMentum Station Team

For over a century, AAA has been an advocate for transportation safety. In keeping with this mission, AAA Northern California operates GoMentum Station, the nation’s largest dedicated automated vehicle testing facility in the US.

GoMentum Station has engaged in and provided perspective on Automated Driving Systems (ADS) safety research since 2019. Today, Waymo released new ADS research where they reconstructed real-world accidents in simulation and tested their technology in these scenarios. GoMentum Station supports data sharing, which enables the industry to improve vehicle safety collectively. 

AAA Northern California, via GoMentum Station, regularly engages in safety research for ADS, including collaborations with leading industry and academic partners. In March 2019, GoMentum Station organized its first workshop on AV safety metrics. The workshop urged the necessity for an enhanced transparency process of ADS safety evaluation, data sharing for safety research, and additional standardized safety assessments, including safety metrics. GoMentum Station has pursued engagements in each of these.

Therefore, GoMentum Station would like to highlight the following points from this research:

  • Waymo’s reconstruction of high-severity collisions from the real-world to simulation is highly relevant and impactful for ADS development. GoMentum Station’s research in novel safety metrics for collision avoidance, formal validation methodologies for ADS underscore the importance of the latest safety metrics and methodologies, as well as the correlation of simulation with real-world testing. 
  • A combination of testing modes is needed to assess ADS safety. Waymo uses three testing methods, including simulation, closed-track testing, and public testing to develop their technology. GoMentum’s collaboration with the University of Waterloo, presented at the SAE World Congress in 2020, aligns with this approach.
  • Sharing safety scenarios and testing results across the industry is critical for validating ADS. GoMentum Station is engaged in a collaborative effort to safely deploy AV using a data-driven policy framework via the World Economic Forum’s Safe Drive Initiative. To continue our pursuit of safer autonomous vehicles, we welcome collaboration and information sharing across the industry, including Waymo.

GoMentum is the nation’s largest dedicated connected and automated vehicle testing facility in the US, located 65 miles from Silicon Valley. Owned and operated by AAA Northern California, the proving ground has over 20 miles of roads and highways set in 2,100 acres. Vehicle technology tested, including ADAS features in partnership with AAA National, at GoMentum Station will redefine the next generation of transportation, bring unprecedented mobility options to people, and advance traffic safety towards zero fatalities. Learn more at GoMentumStation.net.