The state of Ohio and Ohio State University are joining forces to fund the first phase of a $45 million autonomous vehicle research and testing center, Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich announced on Thursday.
The 540-acre SMART (Smart Mobility Advanced Research and Test) Center will be built on 4,500 acres of the Transportation Research Center (TRC), an area billed as the “nation’s largest independent automotive proving grounds.” The center will test new technologies and highly automated vehicles in a closed real world environment, before the vehicles are deployed on public roads and highways.