Transport operator Stagecoach, bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and technology company Fusion Processing are collaborating on a trial of the United Kingdom’s first full-sized autonomous bus.
A product of ADL, the ADL Enviro200 vehicle, which was demonstrated for the first time publicly on Monday, March 18, is being trialed in a Manchester bus depot.
During the trial, the bus will be used in autonomous mode within the depot environment to perform movements such as parking and moving into the bus wash.
“This is an exciting project to trial autonomous technology on a full-sized bus for the first time in the UK,” says Stagecoach Chief Executive Martin Griffiths.
Technology
Technology
Mississippi State University researchers use UAS to help NOAA forecasters refine forecasts
Scientists from Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Northern Gulf Institute recently used a small UAS to take high-resolution images of rising waters during a major rainstorm in late February.
The images were beamed back in real time to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather forecasters.
“We were able to see the water as it rose over the course of two days, which helped our office confirm when the crest had been reached,” says Dr. Suzanne Van Cooten, hydrologist-in-charge at the NOAA National Weather Service Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center in Slidell, Louisiana.
Optimus Ride deploying self-driving vehicles in New York and California
Optimus Ride has announced plans to deploy its self-driving vehicles at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Fairfield, California's Paradise Valley Estates. With these deployments, residents and workers at both sites will have access to efficient and convenient self-driving mobility within defined, geofenced areas, according to Optimus Ride.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard deployment, which is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2019, will be the first commercial self-driving vehicle program in the state of New York. The vehicles will operate on the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s private roads, as they provide a loop shuttle service to connect NYC Ferry passengers to Flushing Avenue outside the Yard’s perimeter.
OSU's Unmanned Systems Research Institute receives first FAA authorization to fly fixed wing UAS in swarms
Oklahoma State University (OSU) has announced that its Unmanned Systems Research Institute (USRI) has received the first FAA authorization to fly fixed wing UAS in swarms within the national airspace.
With this flight authorization, a single pilot, along with visual observers for safety considerations, will be allowed to operate a swarm of up to 20 fixed wing aircraft.
According to OSU, the configuration that its researchers have developed creates a “swarm of swarms” where groups of UAS fly within smaller flocks as part of a larger swarm, communicating with a local group leader which then coordinates flights with the overall swarm formation.
ANRA Technologies' UTM platform implemented into New York State UAS test site
ANRA Technologies’ UAS traffic management (UTM) platform has been successfully implemented into the New York State UAS test site by the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) and Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York.
With this implementation, the test site’s capabilities have been advanced thanks to the enhancement of multiple, simultaneous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations that involve both manned and unmanned vehicles sharing the same airspace.
Additionally, ANRA Technologies not only enhances tracking, but it also supports network based Remote ID and detect-and-avoid capabilities.
Navya's autonomous shuttle to be used at mixed-use destination in Georgia
A private, community development and commercial real estate firm called the Integral Group has announced an autonomous vehicle partnership with Navya that will result in Navya being the shuttle provider for Assembly, an adaptive reuse community, in Doraville, Georgia.
Headquartered in Atlanta, the Integral Group says that this technology will “enhance the overall accessibility of the site,” as it connects the mixed-use destination with two nearby Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) stations.
TuSimple develops automotive-grade camera and vision system for autonomous trucks
TuSimple has developed a proprietary automotive-grade camera and vision system that will be deployed on its autonomous customer fleet by Q3 2019.
Expected to go into volume production in Q2 2019, the system offers “enhanced reliability of autonomous operation,” according to TuSimple. The company adds that the system is a necessary step in its goal of commercializing the first driverless truck.
UAVOS' new simulator helps test UAVOS autopilot control capabilities of different types of unmanned vehicles
UAVOS Inc. has introduced a simulator for its customers that can be used to test UAVOS autopilot control capabilities of different types of unmanned vehicles in different weather conditions.
Equipped with special software, as well as software for the ground control station that UAVOS developed, the simulator facilitates trial flights of UAS in a virtual environment before the start of their production. The results of the virtual flight tests can inform the necessary modifications of a UAS’ design.
Winnipeg Richardson International Airport launches first autonomous airport snowplow in North America
Canada’s Winnipeg Richardson International Airport recently launched the first autonomous airport snowplow in North America.
A product of Manitoba, Canada companies Northstar Robotics Inc. and Airport Technologies Inc. (ATI), the snowplow, known as Otto, is a specially designed ATI Snow Mauler built to operate autonomously using technology from Northstar Robotics. Otto follows predetermined routes and controls the plow blade at specific locations to conduct its snow clearing duties.
According to Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, Otto is now capable of operating autonomously in low-risk areas of the airport. The next step is for Otto to operate in other areas of the airport.
