Photo below: Jay Harris, 77, of Plymouth and The Henry Ford antique vehicle specialist Gordon Michael, 66, of Oak Park check out GM's first self-driving Bolt EV while GM President Mark Reuss speaks in the background Tuesday at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. (Photo: Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)
Mobility
Mobility
Aurrigo plans to showcase how driverless pods can help those with disabilities
An autonomous vehicle company in England called Aurrigo will soon launch a six-month trial to demonstrate how driverless pods can help improve the mobility and independence of people that have health conditions and disabilities.
Considered the first trial of its kind in the world, the trial will involve blind veterans in Brighton, England that are participating in an exercise that explores possible ‘first and last mile’ transport options.
Aurrigo has partnered with Blind Veterans UK for the trial, which is expected to start in April. The company expects to obtain valuable real-life experiences that it can use to improve the technology going forward.
Volvo Buses and Nanyang Technological University demonstrate full size autonomous bus
Volvo Buses and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have demonstrated what they are calling the world’s first full size autonomous electric bus.
Having already undergone preliminary rounds of testing at the Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research of Autonomous vehicles (CETRAN) in Singapore, the bus, which is Volvo’s first autonomous fully electric bus in public transportation, will soon begin trials on the campus of NTU.
There are also plans to extend the route beyond the university.
Pittsburgh Mayor announces 'Pittsburgh Principles' for autonomous vehicles
On Monday, March 4, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order that outlines city objectives and expectations for the safe testing of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh.
Known as the “Pittsburgh Principles,” the order also assigns responsibilities for the development of transparent and constructive reporting guidelines for the growing technology sector.
“Autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to dramatically improve safety on our city streets and yield transformative benefits to equitable access and quality of life for all in our city. This can only happen when industry, agencies and people understand one another and work together,” says Mayor Peduto.
Daimler and BMW partner to develop next-generation tech for autonomous driving
The Daimler AG and BMW Group will work together to develop next-generation technologies for automated driving, the companies announced on Thursday, Feb. 28.
The initial focus of the companies’ partnership will be advancing the development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and parking features (up to SAE Level 4).
With this in mind, Daimler and BMW have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop this technology, noting that they view their partnership as a “long-term, strategic cooperation,” with a goal of making next-level technologies widely available by the middle of the next decade.
Scania and Nobina collaborating to test autonomous buses in Sweden
Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania and Nobina, the largest public transport operator in the Nordic countries, have announced that they will work together to begin trials of autonomous buses on regular routes in the Stockholm, Sweden area.
The trials will be conducted in two stages: first without passengers, and then with passengers. The buses will have a safety-driver onboard throughout the trials to monitor operations and help passengers.
Sacramento State welcomes Olli self-driving shuttle to campus
After winning an Olli fleet challenge for presenting a best-use scenario for Local Motors' Olli self-driving shuttle, Sacramento State welcomed the autonomous shuttle to its campus on Thursday, Feb. 21.
In cooperation with Sacramento State, Local Motors officials have mapped a route that two Olli shuttles will use for the next few months.
“This deployment is a big moment for Sacramento State and for Local Motors, and follows months and months of co-creation, design and development,” says Jay Rogers, Local Motors co-founder and CEO.
Rhode Island Department of Transportation begins testing autonomous vehicles
On Wednesday, Feb. 20, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr., along with state and local officials, hosted a demonstration of autonomous vehicle technology at the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
With the initial phase of a pilot project scheduled to launch in Providence, Rhode Island this spring, the autonomous vehicles are being tested this week on low-volume roads in the Park.
“This is a very exciting day as we kick-off testing of autonomous vehicles, putting Rhode Island on the map as a leader in this new high-tech field in transportation,” says Governor Gina Raimondo.
Beep and Navya bringing autonomous shuttles to Central Florida
A Florida-based autonomous mobility technologies provider called Beep has announced an exclusive dealer arrangement for the state of Florida with Navya.
Beep and Navya have also announced a development partnership for shared mobility and autonomous vehicle research, which will result in Beep leading the testing and pilot deployments of Navya’s driverless and fully electric AUTONOM Shuttle in Florida.
Beep is working with Lake Nona—a smart community within the City of Orlando and Orange County where the company is headquartered— to bring the first autonomous shuttles to Central Florida. Service is expected to begin this spring.
Colorado's Regional Transportation District deploys autonomous shuttle
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Colorado debuted its autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The EasyMile autonomous shuttle is expected to operate for the next four to six months.
According to RTD, this was the first on-road deployment of an AV shuttle not only in Denver, but the state of Colorado.
“We’re excited to see how driverless technology will work in Denver and to embrace new, innovative and better mobility options to move more people and improve travel for residents and visitors alike,” says Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, who was one of several in attendance for a ribbon cutting and ride aboard the shuttle.
