Retrotek Australia are the developers of an automated vehicles guidance system called Advanced Road data Systems called ARDS Where the vehicle is guided purely by line markings. In simple terms Lane keeping technology on steroids. Speed limits are changed via a simple device proprietary to us , stop instructions, red lights status , slow down, stop , turn left , turn right, anyway not going into how we do that, We currently are running a vehicle Fully automated with very promising Results. Operates from a standard Sat Nav System.

Retrotek Australia is trying and researching into minimizing the connectivity for Automated Vehicles , We see the Connected feature as an invasion of privacy (possible) where on a connected vehicle conversation can be listened to. Passengers can be video recorded, Identified via facial recognition. ( we are not talking about automated public transport systems)

The ARDS sytem can navigate on roads with no line markings but the road requires to be ARDS compatible
The System can detect human , Kangaroos , Wombat and rabbits ( the last 2 the system has missed a few times ) wombats and rabbits have gone to the bottom of priorities.

Retrotek Australia is staying away from connectivity for the following reasons
1) all connected vehicles are based on visual data acquisition, Every thing that the cameras and sensors record or detect are entered into a computer or hardware that is directly connected to a mainframe,
2) Consequently Face recognition software could be added meaning that every connected vehicle is recording you.
3) Imagine going to the city and being photographed 1000 times a day every step you make, How will you privacy be protected ?
4) We at Retrotek Australia do not agree with Connected Vehicle Automation Except in the public Transport field.
5) Our System operates within existing Infrastructure ( Minor Adjustment) and limited to road having being certified for our system ( One part is the certification of line markings, Road Studs, and standards compatible with the current lane keeping Technology.and of course the ARDS system)

Retrotek Australia is quite happy to share how our Prototype guides itself without a driver to the right People. But at the moment the project is at a stand still, since certification of the roads is to slow without the Available Automation equipment available from Overseas ( We can’t Afford it ) so spending days analyzing road data manually, a tedious task.

So far our prototype has Traveled the east link in Melbourne, the peninsula Freeway, the Monash freeway , Domain tunnel, Westgate freeway to Geelong and a few of the major roads. The only problem we encountered was the color of the lighting in the Tunnel affected the Lane keeping technology and the ARDS system forcing us to take control of the vehicle remotely whilst in colored light tunnel, The Bolte Bridge lighting also affected the ARDS system, We will keep testing our prototype MR PINGER, It would be nice if the Victorian supported us but so far no luck With The minister of transport, So MR PINGER has now taken third place after family, work, Mr PINGER but we love MR PINGER. So if you see it around HONK at it showing your support For an Australian Endeavor, We have an Automated vehicles Australian made (By the way MR PINGER is a modified Mercedes Smart car.)

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