Tests on driverless vehicles made in Coventry
They're beginning in Cambridge today.
Custom-made driverless vehicles built in Coventry are being tested on main roads from today.
The shuttles - made by Aurrigo are being tried out down in Cambridge.
They are the first firm in the country to test a custom-made autonomous vehicle on a main road surrounded by other traffic, including cars, lorries, vans, bikes and pedestrians.
The trial is part of an Innovate UK and Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV)-backed project, led by Aurrigo with Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) and Smart Cambridge all working together to explore how autonomous technology could be used on the public transport network.
It is anticipated that passengers recruited for the project will be able to use an Aurrigo App that will allow them to be picked-up at a number of locations across the 2-mile route.
“This is another major milestone in the journey towards making autonomous vehicles a reality on our roads,” explained David Keene, Chief Executive Officer of Aurrigo.
“We’ve completed successful trials in city centres, in retirement complexes and at major golf tournaments, but this is the first time these vehicles will be sharing the route with everyday traffic.
“The shuttles, which have been designed and manufactured at our Advanced Engineering Centre in Coventry, will operate the 20-minute journey around the West Cambridge route. They will run autonomously for the majority of the route using our in-house developed Auto-Stack™ driving software and the latest LIDAR and camera technology to identify potential hazards as they move around.”
Trials in Cambridge had been halted by the pandemic, but with mapping now complete, it will be left to the Future of Transport Minister Rachel Maclean to officially mark the start of public testing by taking the first official journey later today.
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