3D Windsor Detroit Tunnel unveiled to test automated vehicle cross-border travel

Invest WindsorEssex unveiled Thursday its latest digital twin project; a 3D version of the Windsor Detroit Tunnel which will be a testing ground for connected and automated vehicle (CAV) testing.

The Virtual Reality CAVE for Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Technologies launched in the region in 2019, and previously createda digital twin of the Project Arrow vehicle, a zero-emission Canadian made concept vehicle.

Now, the newly created virtual reality tunnel will allow Invest WindsorEssex and partners to explore how automated vehicles cross the international border.

"The digital twin is capable of a multitude of different types of testing scenarios,and that's what makes it unique," saidEd Dawson, senior manager of automobility and innovation at Invest WindsorEssex.

"So if you think about an automated vehicle crossing an international border, there are many considerations to take into effect. So as a result, we're able to do them safely, cost effectively, and in this environment."

Dawson said researchers can, for example, put an animal in the tunnel to see how that automatedvehicle would react or how a collision would be dealt with.

The unveiling coincided with a visit fromHelena Jaczek, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. FedDev previously invested $5-million in 2019, "to grow an automobility innovation cluster" in Windsor-Essex with funds going to various organizations and businesses in the region.

"This milestone project was one of several projects funded through that initial investment," saidMatthew Johnson, executive director mobility partnerships and innovation at Invest WindsorEssex.

"This is the first digital twin of an international border crossing in all of North America."

While in the region, Jaczek announced a $1-million investment to local companyDimachema cleaning chemical manufacturer to expand its facility.

The company is expanding to create Clorox'sPinesol products and added 27 new jobs, according toAndrew Conway, vice president of the company.