Car driven round Guildford ice rink by University of Surrey to test AI-powered anti-skid system

• Researchers take the car on the ice in Guildford.

A Surrey ice rink played host to a different kind of skater after researchers used it to test an AI powered car.

A team from the University of Surrey used the Guildford Spectrum to test a new anti-skidding feature on their autonomous car.

The test, lasting 90 minutes, was a 'huge success' the University said.

It allowed researchers to gather vital data so they could enhance how the car handles slippy conditions.

Carmine Caponio, a researcher in automotive engineering at the University of Surrey, said:

“We were delighted with what we were able to achieve in under two hours on the ice. Our system appeared to work very well, and we must now analyse our data and prepare for further tests.

“It is highly unusual to be able to test technology on ice like this outside of large industrial companies – so to have a facility like the Spectrum available to us is a real privilege, and we are enormously grateful to its staff for making us feel so welcome.”

The team is using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a unique way of preventing skidding in icy or wet conditions.

The system senses when one of the wheels is spinning too quickly and adjusts the power to that wheel accordingly.

Mario Mihalkov, a researcher at Surrey’s Centre for Automotive Engineering, said:

“We’re excited to study our results and come back for more data in the New Year. We hope our findings will be of great interest to car makers – and can help make driving safer in slippery conditions for millions of drivers.”

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