SwRi and Texas A&M partner to test self-driving cars in San Antonio

Source: San Antonio Business Journal on January 24, 2017 | Kristen Mosbrucker

Self-driving car technology is coming to San Antonio streets.

The city was tapped as a pilot market by the U.S. Department of Transportation, who is designating several Texas metro areas as areas which will start getting driverless vehicles on the road.

Southwest Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization based in San Antonio, joined the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and the University of Texas at Austin's Center for Transportation Research in the application for Texas to be a national "proving ground" for automated vehicles.

“We fully expect to see more automated driving capabilities on Texas roads in the next few years,” said Steve Dellenback, vice president of SwRI's intelligent systems division in a statement.

There are 10 other groups across the country working with the U.S. Department of Transportation to do research and collect data to develop automated vehicle technology. Texas was a prime market example because of its expected population boom.

The goal is to have self-driving vehicles weather different situations, like driving on highways, urban centers, University campuses but also active bus routes.

Several other markets, including Austin, Houston, Dallas and El Paso are also participating in the research and data collection.