Driverless vehicle trial to focus on a pesky problem: Kangaroos

Kangaroos being hit by cars is one big, very Australian problem.

With autonomous vehicles set to operate in Australia in the next few years, a trial in the state of New South Wales aims to figure out how to handle the pesky marsupial on roads.

The trial will feature what’s claimed to be the world’s first driverless ute (what Australians call a pickup truck), which will operate around the town of Dubbo.

It’ll take around eight months to develop the vehicle, with the on-road trial to go on for a year. The Daily Liberal reports the ute itself is an “off-the-shelf” Toyota Hilux, which will be retrofitted with driverless technology from UK company Conigital…