ROADS between Oxford and Abingdon are being re-created virtually in order to test driverless cars in a safe environment.
The Ordnance Survey project - called OmniCAV - is creating a 3D model complete with virtual pedestrians, cyclists and other cars which it says will help shape the future of travel.
Vehicles connected to the project have been seen out on the county's roads recently surveying the real-life area's characteristics that will become part of the simulator.
It is hoped the the project will speed up the process by which driverless cars - known as Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) - are in use on the roads.
Simon Navin, Ordnance Survey’s head of innovation programmes, said: “Testing in the simulation allows the project team to operate in safety without any consequence to the real world.
"The project will culminate in a CAV being put through the entire end-to-end OmniCAV testing programme, from simulator-only, to controlled environment, to on-road testing."
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He hopes it will lead to the creation of international standards which ensure driverless cars can be safely deployed and certificated.
Oxfordshire was seen as the ideal setting for the Government-funded project because of its mix of rural and busy urban roads and difficult intersections where incidents are most likely to happen.
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