Stories Related to This Is Just A Test: University Of Iowa Puts Rural Autonomous Driving Through Its Paces

At a casual glance, it looks like any Lincoln MKZ. But it’s smarter.“It can talk to a couple school buses in the Solon Community district,” Omar Ahmad said. “It can talk to a couple of tractors.”One of a small fleet of test vehicles maintained by the University of Iowa’s National Advanced Driving Simulator, or NADS, the Lincoln recently served as a test platform for technology Ahmad, NADS’ deputy director, and others expect will improve travel for rural Americans.“What we’re doing in the rural environment is unique in the sense that almost all testing is done in a 12-month climate,” NADS Director Dan McGehee said.