The next phase of the Greenwich-based GATEway project – an open public trial of driverless pods – will get underway this autumn.
Announced yesterday (7 August), the trial will see the project switch focus from exploring public perception and understanding of driverless vehicles, to allowing the public to interact with the technology.
The trial will feature updated pods which will provide ‘first and last mile’ transportation around the Greenwich peninsula by connecting important transport hubs with business, leisure and residential locations.
Launched in 2016, the GATEway Project is a research programme led by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) and funded by government and industry.
To date, much of the project has focussed on exploring public perceptions and understanding of driverless delivery vehicles – including the first autonomous grocery delivery trial in June.
However, the next phase of the project, which uses a new ‘autonomy system’, will set out to transport hundreds more people. Fusion Processing will provide sensing and control equipment for the new pods, which are being built by Westfield Sportscars.
Simon Tong, TRL, technical lead on the project, said: “GATEway has always been focused on exploring public perception and understanding of driverless vehicles. With Fusion (Processing) joining the team, GATEway is in a unique position to let the public interact with three very different autonomous control systems during our urban trials.”
As part of the GATEway project, autonomous valet parking will also be tested later this year.
08 August 2017