What is Kim Dong-yeon's first destination on his US business trip?…Michigan University 'Model Autonomous Driving' Facility

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (third from the left in the front row) visited MCity at the University of Michigan on the 10th (local time) and received explanations from Henry Liu, MCity Director, and other officials.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon visited autonomous vehicle and secondary battery-related facilities in Michigan, known as the automotive industry capital, as the first schedule of his business trip to the United States. He reviewed the current status of advanced technology development and sought cooperation plans with Gyeonggi Province.

On the 10th (local time), Governor Kim visited MCity located at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

MCity is the world's first model driving facility spanning 130,000㎡ that reproduces road conditions identical to those of a typical city to test autonomous driving technology. It simulates various situations such as railroad crossings, roundabouts, gravel roads, construction sites, sidewalks, and parking lots, enabling diverse driving safety experiments. It is known as the model for K-City, an autonomous driving experimental city established by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Henry Liu, MCity Center Director, explained, "MCity has been operating since 2015, making it about eight years old. It is the world's first dedicated facility for connected autonomous driving and cooperative testing." He added, "It is equipped with a mixed reality system combining real and virtual elements, allowing actual vehicles to conduct driving experiments while adding virtual components."

On the day, Governor Kim, along with Nam Kyung-soon, Vice Chairman of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, experienced the current state of technology development firsthand by test-driving an autonomous vehicle operated by Henry Liu for about 3 km. During the test drive, a virtual emergency situation was created where the autonomous vehicle collided with a virtual vehicle at an intersection to observe the vehicle's response.

After the test drive, Governor Kim said, "We examined through virtual reality how to respond and the severity of an accident if a suddenly appearing vehicle collides." He added, "Gyeonggi Province places great emphasis on related industries to the extent of establishing an Advanced Mobility Division. Based on today's experience, we will strive to become a leader in the advanced mobility industry."

Following the visit to MCity, Governor Kim visited the University of Michigan's Electric Vehicle (EV) Center and Battery Lab to review the development status of electric vehicles and secondary batteries.

The University of Michigan Battery Lab is a research institution that provides the global academic community and industry users with prototypes, testing, and analysis expertise and data necessary for batteries and battery materials.

Located near Michigan, the automotive industry capital of the United States, it was established with the purpose of bringing together scientists, engineers, suppliers, and manufacturers to develop next-generation battery technology. The laboratory is available for use by all companies or researchers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.