The University of Waterloo’s Autonomous Vehicle Research and Intelligence Lab (AVRIL) was officially opened last week, about a year and a half after construction began on the $4.5 million construction project. The project was originally scheduled for completion in the summer of 2019.

The single-storey building, covering 7,050 square feet, was built with significant financial assistance from both the federal and provincial governments. The two combined to contribute $1.5 million, while UW anted up the remaining $3 million. AVRIL is home to the university’s ambitious autonomous vehicle project, and other initiatives.

Research at AVRIL will focus on areas including perception by self-driving vehicles in all weather conditions, coordination with other vehicles and safety assura​nce, a critical requirement for viable autonomy.

On hand for the official opening was Navdeep Bains, federal minister of innovation, science and industry, who told those assembled for the occasion, “Not only is AVRIL an achievement for the University and for the Kitchener-Waterloo region, but it’s also a feather in the cap of Canada’s auto industry. This industry is rapidly transforming, focusing more on connected and autonomous vehicles with low-emission solutions.”

AVRIL is located on the main campus of the University of Waterloo. It’s described as “a shared research workspace dedicated to automated driving, vehicle connectivity and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) across a wide variety of mobility applications.”

The facility has 10 truck height work bays, a driving simulator with 210° immersive screen and level 2 charger for electric vehicles.

Current project activity includes autonomous passenger vehicles, driverless shuttles, warehouse and industrial robots, autonomous field platforms as well as commercial trucks.