A year after launching their self-driving program in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lyft and Aptiv have announced that they have successfully completed more than 50,000 passenger rides.
Through their work with the State of Nevada, City of Las Vegas, Clark County, and Regional Transportation Commission, Lyft and Aptiv have grown their commercial operation to provide access to over 2,100 hotels, entertainment venues, restaurants, and popular destinations throughout the Las Vegas Strip and downtown area, including City Hall and the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Pilot Projects
Pilot Projects
N.C. A&T professor to help NCDOT examine how UAS can be used to inspect bridges
In October, a North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University professor will help the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) on a project to examine how UAS can be used to inspect aging civil infrastructure.
TuSimple, United States Postal Service partner to test autonomous technology
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has awarded self-driving truck company TuSimple a contract to perform five round trips, for a two-week pilot, hauling USPS trailers more than 1,000 miles between the Postal Service’s Phoenix and Dallas distribution centers.
During the duration of the pilot, a safety engineer and driver will be on board the truck to monitor vehicle performance and to ensure public safety.
For TuSimple, the company is expanding its autonomous operations beyond Arizona, as it debuts its self-driving technology in Texas. TuSimple will run a series of its self-driving trucks for 22 hours each, which includes overnight driving, along the I-10, I-20 and I-30 corridors to make the trip through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Little Roady autonomous vehicle pilot project begins service in Providence, Rhode Island
The Little Roady autonomous vehicle pilot project in Providence, Rhode Island went into service on Wednesday, May 15.
Launched with the intent to evaluate autonomous mobility technology, the research project, which is offering free service to riders, will help the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) “better understand the opportunities and challenges that come with integrating this new technology into RIDOT's transportation planning,” the department says.
RIDOT adds that the research will help improve transit, and provide information for communities, the workforce, and policymakers.
“It's always exciting when Rhode Island has an opportunity to lead the way in cutting-edge green technology,” says Governor Gina Raimondo.
Tally robots seek to free up store associates to focus on customers in Giant Eagle stores
Food retailer and distributor Giant Eagle has unveiled a pilot program with automation technology provider Simbe Robotics to deploy an autonomous shelf auditing and inventory analytics platform called Tally in the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Akron areas.
Tally allows store associates to focus on customers instead of taking inventory by making sure that products are on shelves when and where customers expect them to be.
“When it comes to the food retail industry, shopper experience is everything. If a product is unavailable at the time our customer wants to buy it, we’ve missed an opportunity and disappointed our customer,” explains Giant Eagle spokesperson Jannah Jablonowski.
Utah launches Autonomous Shuttle Pilot Project
In partnership with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) launched its new Autonomous Shuttle Pilot Project on Thursday, April 11.
Over the next year, the shuttle will travel to different communities throughout Utah, providing the public with its first look at a completely autonomous vehicle (the shuttle will always have a host on board, though).
Capable of operating at up to 15 miles per hour, the shuttle follows a predetermined route during operations. It reacts in real-time to other vehicles, pedestrians and any obstacles in its path, thanks to being equipped with a full range of sensors.
Local Motors' Olli autonomous shuttle headed to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall
As part of Local Motors’ series of fleet challenges, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia has been selected as the next location to receive Local Motors’ Olli autonomous shuttle.
The fleet of shuttles is expected to arrive at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in the coming weeks after Local Motors maps the route the shuttle will use. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall will get to use the shuttles for approximately three months.
UC Davis welcomes automated shuttle to its West Village neighborhood
An automated, all-electric shuttle has begun operating in the West Village neighborhood of the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).
A product of Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation’s (SAIC) Innovation Center, the shuttle is being demonstrated around a defined loop of the West Village community as part of an agreement between SAIC and UC Davis.
Expected to take place through June 1, the demonstration will allow researchers with the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis) and its China Center for Energy and Transportation to conduct perceptional and behavioral surveys among residents and shuttle riders at no cost to UC Davis.
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.
