Aurrigo Auto-Shuttle, the autonomous bus being tested in the United Kingdom

Autonomous driving has not made automotive news headlines for some time, perhaps because it has already been shown that equipping vehicles with this capability is not yet possible with current technology. But testing continues and work goes on to achieve a vehicle that can drive autonomously and without risk to its occupants and to the other occupants of the road.

In the United Kingdom they are testing an autonomous bus, a vehicle developed by Aurrigo for the Living Lab for Autonomous Electric Vehicles project (LivingLAPT). This project aims to offer an assessment of autonomous public transport in Europe, taking it to a broader level.

These vehicles will be used to facilitate mobility in cities, seeking to increase the safety and sustainability of public transport in the city. To do so, the Auto-Shuttle uses LIDAR radars, sensors and cameras, which are controlled by specialised software capable of providing solutions for moving autonomously through any city.

To this end, testing is not limited to the United Kingdom; it is also being tested in the Czech Republic. In this way, it will be possible to test in modern cities, which have a layout very different from that of several Czech cities, such as Prague. These tests can adjust the behaviour of autonomous vehicles to different types of city.

For the time being, these autonomous buses will have a person seated in the driver’s seat, to check that everything works as it should and to allow that person to immediately correct any problem that may arise. But this safety driver will only be present in these first testing phases, since later it will be removed and the Auto-Shuttle will begin to run tests without a safety driver.

https://youtu.be/vZ3GwW8GRE0