NanoMalaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI), has launched the NanoMalaysia Autonomous Vehicle (NAVi) and the Autonomous Delivery Robot (NAVi-D). The initiative aims to develop Level 4 autonomous vehicles, in the hopes that it would curb the rate of road accidents.
MOSTI said that Level 4 autonomy allows vehicles to efficiently react to when drivers are distracted, which would mitigate the cause of accidents. While NAVi is aimed at the transport sector, NAVi-D is purpose-built for the last-mile delivery sector, with a focus on parcels and food delivery.
Automotive standardisation body SAE International describes Level 4 autonomy as not requiring driver attention for safety and is able to brake and park the car under limited conditions with no human intervention. For reference, Tesla’s Autopilot mode is classified as Level 2, which still requires the driver to pay attention and to take over in many situations.
NAVi is currently undergoing testing in Technology Park Malaysia (TPM), Bukit Jalil. Phases 1 to 3 of TPM are scheduled to include a 12km path for autonomous vehicles. To support the upcoming development, infrastructure such as road signs, sign boards, a central command centre and 5G connectivity is in progress, which would make TPM the main testing site for vehicle autonomy.
(Source: NanoMalaysia press release)
