According to the Associated Press, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is launching a new center called the Center for Autonomy, which will be used to focus on autonomous technology such as self-driving cars and robotic assistants. The university has allocated $2.1 million for the center, while the College of Engineering is providing an additional $2.1 million to recruit new robotics faculty.

After a competitive request-for-proposals process that started earlier this year, May Mobility has been selected by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to deliver a “limited and controlled automated vehicle service” to help fill a transportation gap between downtown Providence and Olneyville. While the service is in operation, RIDOT will seek to get a better understanding of the potential of new technology to improve mobility options for residents in the state, by testing and researching a variety of factors relating to the service.  The service will be available and free to the public for a year.

The University of Alberta’s Centre for Smart Transportation (CST) is testing a driverless electric shuttle on campus to evaluate how it performs in a cold climate. Known as ELA, the electric autonomous vehicle operates without a driver, is capable of carrying 12 passengers, and drives at speeds up to 12 kilometers (approximately 7.5 miles) per hour. Designed to operate on existing city infrastructure, the shuttle is currently operating on the University of Alberta South Campus, giving Edmonton residents the opportunity to participate in the tests. The area where the vehicle is operating has been fitted with special signs for the shuttle to “read,” as well as digital signaling equipment that allow the vehicle to understand its environment.

During Drone Week in Amsterdam, Audi, Airbus and Italdesign tested a flying and driving prototype of “Pop.Up Next,” which the companies describe as an “innovative concept for a flying taxi” that combines a self-driving electric car with a passenger UAS. During the first public test flight, the flight module accurately placed a passenger capsule on the ground module, which then autonomously drove from the test grounds. The companies say that this concept is still a 1:4 scale model, but they believe that in the near future, a convenient and efficient flying taxi service in large cities—in multi-modal operation, in the air and on the road—could be used by Audi customers, allowing them to enjoy their leisure time, relax, or work, all without having to change vehicles.