FutureLink, a key part in the second phase of METRO’s AV testing program, is an autonomous zero-emission shuttle that can operate on city streets, providing residents with first and last-mile connections between Texas Southern University and METRO’s Eastwood Transit Center. The mid-size L4 autonomous, zero-emission shuttle bus can seat up to 14 passengers and accommodate up to two wheelchairs. Funding for the project was provided through the Federal Transit Administration’s Accelerating Innovative Mobility program. The second phase of METRO’s pilot program is expected to run through October 2024, with a final report to be completed by March 2025.

More broadly, METRO is a public transit provider for the Harris County region and offers various transportation services. Included in its transit network are local bus, METRORail, Park & Ride commuter buses, the METROLift paratransit service, HOV/HOT Express Lanes, curb2curb microtransit service and METRO Star Vanpool.

At the HMGICS, a range of new technologies – including advanced automation, real-time monitoring and data evaluation – will be used to manufacture the robotaxi as well as other EVs from the Hyundai Motor Group. The Singapore facility is also equipped with dedicated testing facilities and a calibration center that will together support the production of future Hyundai AVs. Motional confirmed that it will position a team of its employees at the facility to assist with production, critical diagnostics, software development, calibration, and validation tasks to ensure that finished examples of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi are ready for deployment.

More broadly, the HMGICS introduces Hyundai’s new smart urban mobility hub concept, which includes a flexible, automated production system while enhancing interactions between EV buyers, their vehicles, and the Hyundai brand. In addition to leveraging a mix of people, robotics, and AI in a new manufacturing approach, the facility’s digital twin Meta-Factory technology works to rapidly meet changing customer demands and production requirements. Through this approach, the facility is capable of manufacturing up to 30,000 EVs annually.

Today, the facility produces both the passenger and robotaxi versions of the Ioniq 5 EV and, starting in 2024, will begin producing Hyundai’s forthcoming Ioniq 6 EV. In the long-term, the OEM will also use HMGICS as a testbed for developing its future mobility solutions, such as Purpose Built Vehicles.

The production of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi is the latest step in the AV’s development, following a year-long testing period of prototype vehicles in the U.S. and Singapore. This initial fleet recently completed a series of evaluations around the quality, performance, and maturity of its autonomous driving technology. Commercial production of the Ioniq 5 robotaxi is underway, and the first models have already arrived at Motional’s facility in the U.S. The vehicles are currently undergoing Motional’s testing and safety validation processes before beginning commercial service in 2024.

Announced through King Charles’ inaugural King’s Speech as monarch, the bill presents a series of measures that will, together, enable and facilitate the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles on UK roads. The government has said that the bill will support a UK AV market worth up to £42 billion ($51.4 billion / €48.1 billion) and create 38,000 jobs by 2035.

The bill consists of three key objectives that will be achieved through a series of measures – the first being the establishment of a new safety framework for self-driving vehicles. At the core of this framework will be a threshold for self-driving vehicles. This will require any company looking to deploy an AV onto UK roads to ensure that their vehicle can drive itself safely and follow traffic rules without the need for human intervention. If the vehicle meets these conditions, then it will be classified as a self-driving vehicle and authorized for use on UK roads. This authorization will be granted by the UK’s Department of Transport and its agencies, who will be given new powers to authorize AVs and ensure they comply with the government’s safety standards.

Once a vehicle has been authorized to operate, the second measure under this objective will ensure that AV companies are held accountable for their operations. Here, companies must adhere to the government’s safety requirements from the point their self-driving vehicles are introduced onto UK roads. If they fail to do so, they will face consequences such as fines, requirements to take corrective action, suspension of operation, and criminal offences in more serious cases. Under a separate measure, if an incident involving an autonomous vehicle does take place, the bill will set out new processes to investigate these incidents and ensure that the key findings from these investigations will inform its safety framework.

Supporting this framework further is a dedicated measure that will work to digitalize Traffic Regulation Orders. This will require local authorities to send data on legal orders, such as speed limits, road closures, and parking bay designations, to a central publication platform. The data fed into this platform will then support the development of a digital map encompassing the UK’s road network, which itself will inform and support safe AV operations.

The second major objective of the bill will be to ensure a clear sense of legal liability around self-driving vehicles. Here, the government will hold companies looking to operate AVs in the UK legally responsible for how their vehicles drive and define a set of responsibilities for them to follow. At the same time, the bill will ensure that AVs from these companies drive according to existing British laws, while requiring them to report certain safety-related data to the authorization authority and in-use regulator and comply with further laws relevant to AVs – including those around data and environmental protection.

Another measure in this part of the bill relates to the individuals occupying self-driving vehicles, who the bill will provide with immunity from prosecution while a self-driving vehicle is carrying out the driving task. However, the individual will still legally bear non-driving responsibilities – such as maintaining appropriate insurance for the vehicle and ensuring proper loading – while remaining accountable for any part of the journey in which they are driving.

The third and final objective of the bill is to ensure that consumers are protected. Working in tandem with the safety threshold, this area of the bill will prohibit misleading marketing practices around AVs. Only vehicles that meet the government’s threshold will be permitted to be advertised as a self-driving vehicle, with the driver being responsible for other vehicles at all times. Here, the bill similarly highlights that anyone using a self-driving vehicle must be aware of their legal responsibilities in doing so.

While the majority of the bill’s measures will apply to all three constituent countries in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), the government has said that the Digitalising Traffic Regulations Order will only apply to England. The legislation as a whole is one of many announced in the King’s Speech that together represent the UK government’s priorities for the next year.

The collaboration will leverage Liftango’s shared mobility solutions and May Mobility’s AV fleet to optimize shared transit across cities and corporate campuses in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. Here, the companies will collaborate on demand-responsive scheduling and routing optimization for autonomous fleets as they aim to create a positive impact by developing a safe, inclusive transit system catering to each community’s specific needs.

The partnership will enable vehicles equipped with May Mobility’s autonomous driving technology to operate between both demand-responsive and fixed-route services through Liftango’s technology platform. The companies are similarly aiming to help transit agencies and commercial campuses deliver enhanced, more reliable transportation experiences. Their partnership will also make it easier to expand transport services to customers who currently don’t have access due to mobility issues, are located in a rural location, or are subject to reduced services in their area.

The service will see Origin, Cruise’s proprietary AV designed for robotaxi use, pick up customers at a specified location and drive them to their destination. Much like Cruise’s existing service in the U.S., the Tokyo service will operate through a dedicated smartphone app which customers will use throughout the process – from hailing the robotaxi to paying for rides. The Origin AV itself was jointly developed by GM, Cruise, and Honda, and enabled by a multi-year partnership between GM and Honda – who in 2018 committed to investing $2 billion (€1.8 billion) into Cruise over a 12-year period. Inside, the AV does not have a driver seat or steering wheel – offering enhanced cabin space for up to six passengers, with three seats at both ends of the vehicle that allow these passengers to sit face to face.

For Cruise, the announcement marks a key step as its Origin AV enters a new international market. The expansion follows the GM subsidiary’s growth in the U.S., where its robotaxi service began limited operations in San Francisco before receiving the necessary permit to operate more regularly in the city. This service then expanded further across the country, with operations in select areas of Austin, Houston, and Phoenix alongside testing in Dallas, Nashville, and Los Angeles.

Targeting Tokyo, the robotaxi service spawned from the JV will aim to offer a new mobility experience for a broad range of customers in Japan – including businesspeople, families, and visitors. At launch, the companies will leverage a small fleet of Cruise Origin AVs to carry out operations, before increasing the size of this fleet to 500 units. Following this increase, GM, Cruise and Honda will then look to scale the service – extending its reach to areas outside of central Tokyo. Through it, the companies are ultimately aiming to address mobility issues currently facing Japan – such as the country’s shortage of bus and taxi drivers. In supporting the service and helping it to scale, GM, Cruise and Honda will continue to strengthen its partnerships with various stakeholders, including municipal governments and transportation service providers local to the Japan region.

The announcement of the JV and its robotaxi service was made at a special press event held by Honda ahead of the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, where the Cruise Origin will be displayed at the OEM’s booth. The announcement also represents the latest step in a longer collaboration between GM and Honda that began in 2013 through the joint development of hydrogen fuel cell systems. This continued in 2020 as the Cruise Origin was revealed, before the companies more recently announced plans to co-develop cost-effective EVs for the North America market.

The partnership will see eVersum produce autonomous-ready electric base vehicles that featuring Oxa Driver – Oxa’s autonomy software – as well as sensors and computing technology that will be integrated directly on the production line. The eShuttle will carry up to 20 seated passengers, offer a maximum capacity of 50 people (with standing), and operate as a low-noise, zero-emission EV intended for on-road and public transport applications.

In addition to its comfort features, such as kneeling-stop capabilities and flexible seating, the eShuttle is also equipped with advanced information system options that work to meet the needs of today’s transit operators. In combining their strengths, Oxa and eVersum aim to create a turnkey shuttle solution that offers safe, efficient, and reliable shared autonomous transportation options for the future, while helping transit operators reduce costs, improve safety, and extend service to previously inaccessible routes.

Through their partnership, the companies will look to address the growing need for better, more flexible, low-carbon public transport solutions – especially as urban populations grow and road congestion intensifies. The high costs of maintaining multi-route transit services, combined with persistent driver shortages, can lead to service cuts that affect communities and vulnerable groups. In resolving these problems, Oxa and eVersum will encourage transit operators to adopt their autonomous eShuttles, helping operators sustain routes and timetables that are increasingly cost prohibitive, while addressing congestion and emission reduction targets.

Oxa and eVersum are currently working towards an initial deployment of the eShuttles (featuring Oxa Driver) in the UK, with more details on this pilot to be announced later this year.

The autonomous pilot program, called SWAN Shuttle, will provide the City and LYNX with a large set of data and learnings, which the organizations will utilize to support the city’s transportation strategy. Here, the program will work to help them understand how shared, electric, and autonomous vehicles can support Orlando residents, enable enhanced accessibility and improved quality of life and ensure that the city itself remains future-ready and sustainable.

Standing for Shuttling With Autonomous Navigation, the SWAN Shuttle pilot will operate as a fare-free service for residents, visitors, and businesses. These customers will be able to experience the pilot service seven days per week at the Creative Village urban innovation district located in downtown Orlando. Spread over approximately one mile, the shuttle’s route will have five stops: connecting the LYNX Central Station and SunRail to UCF/Valencia Downtown, Luminary Green Park, Electronic Arts, the Parramore neighborhood, and the Creative Village district. The pilot’s shuttles will operate in an existing bus lane, which is today dedicated to the LYMMO Orange Line bus service, in the early afternoon and evening – with hours ranging from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM.

The SWAN Shuttle pilot marks the latest step in Beep’s autonomous shuttle activity, with the provider having a history of deploying and testing similar shuttles for communities in various U.S. states. Most notably, the company is responsible for a large autonomous shuttle network based in the Lake Nona Region – a community in the City of Orlando. Beep’s national command center, located in Lake Nona, will provide monitoring and oversight of the Creative Village SWAN Shuttle pilot alongside its other project sites across the United States.

Enabled through a collaboration with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, the service will work to illustrate the convenience of future mobility solutions for the museum’s visitors. To date, 42Dot has primarily focused on providing public autonomous mobility services to citizens in the Sangam-dong and Cheonggyecheon areas of Seoul and is now looking to expand into the B2B market while streamlining its various technologies and solutions into a single project.

The autonomous shuttle at the center of the service is an eight-seater vehicle, accommodating up to seven people and one safety driver. Equipped with a sensor suite consisting of 12 internal cameras and 6 radars, the AV moves independently while recognizing and remaining aware of its surroundings in real-time. Its route begins at a dedicated boarding point in the museum’s outdoor park and runs at five-minute intervals, circulating around the park in a 400-meter track. The service itself will operate at various intervals between 09:00 and 16:20 from Tuesday to Friday, and from 10:00 to 16:50 on Saturday and Sunday.

The museum’s visitors will be able to hail and board the vehicle, free of charge, using TAP! – 42Dot’s integrated autonomous driving platform. The platform is available to consumers as a smartphone app for compatible iOS and Android devices, though it also offers a variety of additional services – including fleet management, demand-responsive transport and smart logistics.

Following the launch of its service with the museum, 42Dot will continue to develop differentiated mobility services that respond to all movements in the workplace – such as employee commuting – while growing its footprint in the B2B market.

The new workshop is available for optimizing and calibrating cameras and sensor equipment for autonomous driving within its nearly 18,000 square feet (1,672 square meters) of space. It is equipped with an environment designed to verify and develop camera-based autonomous driving, alongside various adjacent technologies, such as LiDAR and radar. This versality and scope will enable the facility to conduct research and development operations tailored to the level of autonomous driving technology. At the workshop, up to 40 engineers can simultaneously test and develop six test vehicles.

In choosing the Dongtan metropolitan area as its location, Stradvision is looking to promote the new workshop’s services to the high-tech industries and large corporations that reside around the area. The company is likewise expecting to create various collaborations geographically.

In deploying the service, May Mobility is aiming to leverage AVs to expand access to safe, reliable, and equitable on-demand transportation to Sun City, a community designed for adults aged 55 and older. The company also aims to understand how its technology is adopted, while addressing mobility challenges faced by aging adults.

Here, May Mobility & Via will also utilize their service to demonstrate the increased freedom and mobility benefits gained through its AVs, with the intent to engage, serve, and educate these communities to drive the adoption of innovative technologies.

Both companies confirmed that the Sun City service will operate from Monday to Friday between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM – navigating resident complexes, recreation centers, grocery stores, pharmacies, and medical centers.

The system combines Recogni’s Scorpio AI processor and the Renesas R-Car V4H ASIL D support processor to provide an efficient, scalable, solution for the high compute needs of various autonomous driving levels. This combination also helps the system process multiple high-resolution, high frame rate video streams simultaneously.

By combining technologies from Recogni and Renesas, Phoenix delivers AI compute performance across a variety of application needs & demands – scalable from 500 TOPS to between 1000 and 2000 TOPS. In designing the Phoenix ECU to be future proof, it can be remotely updated with new features and capabilities issued by Recogni over its lifecycle, with no need to upgrade its hardware. These OTA updates, Recogni says, will support OEMs looking to deliver new software-defined vehicles over an extended period of time.

With Phoenix, Recogni offers an open software platform along with a comprehensive L2+ capable AI vision perception stack that will incorporate a broad set of object classification & detection features – helping it perceive vehicles, vulnerable road users, traffic signs, traffic lights, and more. The open nature of the platform enables partners and customers to run their own perception and driving function software. It is further able to deliver heightened AI convolutional neural network performance at a low latency, while supporting vision Transformer Networks. Phoenix’s low power consumption allows for passive cooling, reducing its overall cost.

Ontime is one of China’s leading ride-hailing providers, offering a wide range of app-based ride-hailing services across the cities of China’s Greater Bay Area, such as Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Dongguan. GAC is one of China’s largest automakers and a longtime Pony.ai partner. Pony.ai’s close collaboration with Ontime enables the two companies to leverage their own unique advantages to accelerate commercialization of autonomous driving technology.

In addition to working with leading ride-hailing companies like Ontime to broaden Pony.ai’s reach into the ride-hailing ecosystem, Pony.ai continues to develop and deploy its own robotaxi app, PonyPilot+. This partnership with Ontime builds on Pony.ai’s April 24 announcement that it is the first and only autonomous driving company to receive a taxi license in China, with a permit to operate 100 autonomous vehicles as traditional taxis in Nansha, Guangzhou. In May, Pony.ai will start charging fares in the entire 803 square kilometers of Nansha with 100 Pony.ai robotaxis and intends to gradually expand the scale and scope of service to other areas of Guangzhou to benefit more residents. The 100 vehicle Pony.ai fleet in Nansha with a taxi license will be separate from and will operate in parallel to the Pony.ai-Ontime fleet.

Pony.ai also received a fee-charging permit for robotaxi services in Beijing in November 2021 and is now the sole company approved to commercialize autonomous driving services in two Tier-1 cities in China. With successful commercialization in Beijing and Guangzhou, Pony.ai plans to expand its commercialized robotaxi footprint to the other two Tier-1 cities in China next year and to more cities by the start of Pony.ai’s mass commercialization planned for 2024/2025. Pony.ai currently has autonomous vehicle testing and operations in all four of China’s Tier-1 cities and in California.

The Stagecoach Group, a Scottish transport group, will partner with Fusion Processing, Alexander Dennis, and Transport Scotland to carry out on-road testing of the self-driving bus for two weeks. After this, the group will begin preparing for the launch of the project’s pilot service later this year.

The pilot, which is jointly funded by the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles and project partners Fusion, ADL, Stagecoach and Transport Scotland, will see five single-deck autonomous buses operating at SAE Level 4 over the Forth Road Bridge between Ferrytoll Park and Ride in Fife, and the Edinburgh Park Train and Tram interchange.

The buses are fitted with CAVstar, Fusion Processing’s sensor and control technology, that enables them to run on pre-selected roads without the need for the safety driver to intervene or take control. Each service will be capable of carrying up to 36 passengers over the 14 miles across the bridge, with capacity for more than 10,000 passengers a week. The company’s on-road testing follows a series of preliminary testing practices – including successful depot-based trials, track testing and virtual simulations.

The CAVForth project received public input ahead of its on-road testing, with 500 members of the public assisting with the implementation of the new autonomous service. Together, they provided feedback on what would make them feel comfortable and confident in travelling. Elements of this feedback were built into the service, such as ensuring that all future autonomous bus services still have a member of staff on board.

Stagecoach will also look to recruit 20 trained Autonomous Bus Professionals for the project from across its East Scotland business. When the service goes live, these bus drivers will monitor the autonomous system alongside a bus Captain who will move around the saloon – talking to passengers about the service and answering their questions.

Pony.ai was awarded a permit to operate 100 autonomous vehicles as traditional taxis in Nansha, Guangzhou. In May, Pony.ai will start charging fares in the entire 800 square kilometers of Nansha with 100 robotaxis and intends to gradually expand the scale and scope of service to other areas of Guangzhou to benefit more residents. Passengers can hail rides and pay for the service through the PonyPilot+ App.

The robotaxis will operate in both daytime and nighttime with service hours from 8:30 to 22:30 and with fares based on the standard taxi pricing in Guangzhou. While the Pony.ai robotaxi currently retains a safety driver, the company expects to remove the driver over the short to intermediate time frame.

This signals the Guangzhou government’s formal implementation of AD mobility services similar to traditional taxi and ride-hailing platforms. Today’s announcement reinforces Pony.ai’s progress toward commercial autonomy: with the robotaxi fee-charging permit received in Beijing in November 2021, Pony.ai is now the sole company approved for AD commercialization services in two Tier-1 cities in China. With successful commercialization in Beijing and Guangzhou, Pony.ai plans to expand its commercialized robotaxi footprint to the other two Tier-1 cities in China next year and to more cities by the start of Pony.ai’s mass commercialization planned for 2024/2025. Pony.ai currently has autonomous vehicle testing and operations in all four of China’s Tier-1 cities and in California.

To qualify for the license, Pony.ai had to pass stringent safety and other multifaceted vehicle qualification tests set forth by national inspection institutions, such as having at least 24 months of AD testing in China and/or other countries, at least 1 million kilometers of testing mileage, at least 200,000 kilometers of AD testing within Guangzhou’s designated test area, and no involvement in any active liability traffic accidents.

Pony.ai is the first and only autonomous driving company to have met all of these requirements and standards.

From the launch of Pony.ai’s robotaxi app in December 2018 through the commercialization of robotaxi services in both Beijing and Guangzhou, Pony.ai has continuously improved and upgraded all aspects of the consumer experience of robotaxi services. As of mid-April 2022, Pony.ai’s Robotaxi service has completed more than 700,000 orders, with nearly 80% repeat users and 99% of the passengers giving positive comments after completing their trips – and a service satisfaction rating reaching 4.9 on a 5-point scale

For May Mobility, the investment will provide them with access to Firestone Direct, Bridgestone’s mobile service provider. The firm will leverage this access to enhance the scalability of its AV operations for its fleet of Toyota passenger vehicles. It also confirmed plans to continue expanding its operations to develop sustainable, accessible, and affordable AV transit solutions for the U.S. and Japan.

With access to Azuga, a cloud-based fleet mobility solution under Bridgestone’s ownership, May Mobility expects to reap further business benefits. With it, the firm will look to improve business performance through its fleet management, camera intelligence, and route planning features.

May Mobility’s vehicles will also utilize insights derived from in-wheel sensors and Bridgestone’s predictive algorithms to monitor the health of tires – including their pressure, temperature and tread wear.

Before issuing the permits to Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous subsidiary, and Cruise, GM’s autonomous subsidiary, the CPUC had authorized both to only provide passenger service on a testing basis as part of its Drivered Pilot program. Participants of the program who hold a valid California DMV Deployment Permit and meet the requirements of the CPUC’s Drivered Deployment Program can request to convert their testing permit into a full Drivered Deployment permit.

With the Drivered Deployment permits issued by the CPUC, and the accompanying DMV permits, Cruise and Waymo can now offer passenger service in specific areas. Cruise, for example, can operate on select public roads in San Francisco between 10:00 PM and 06:00 AM at speeds of up to 30 mph (48 km/h). Meanwhile, Waymo can provide their services in designated parts of counties in San Francisco and San Mateo at any time at speeds of up to 65 mph (104 km/h). Neither company is authorized to operate during heavy fog or heavy rain.

The CPUC offers four programs centered around autonomous vehicle services. In addition to Drivered Pilot and Drivered Deployment, it offers Driverless Pilot and Driverless Deployment programs that work similarly to the Drivered programs, but have no safety driver at the wheel. Shared service offerings in the Driverless Deployment program are permitted based on the carrier’s Passenger Safety Plan.

The shuttle is envisioned by the three companies as a fully autonomous mobility solution, operating at SAE L4, for the U.S. Likewise, it will be designed to meet the necessary industry and safety standards for use in public spaces. Inside, each vehicle will offer 12 to 14 seats while providing standing space for up to five passengers and wheelchair access. In reflecting its autonomous driving capabilities, the shuttle does not feature pedals or a traditional steering wheel.

Each company will make their own contributions to the shuttle based on their respective experiences. Benteler, for example, will develop the shuttle – integrating all individual subsystems into the final vehicle. The company will also oversee the industrialization and production of the shuttle.

The autonomous functionality of the shuttles will be enabled by Mobileye Drive, Mobileye’s self-driving system. This system works to facilitate L4 to L5 autonomy by leveraging a suite of sensors – consisting of 13 cameras, 3 long-range LiDARs, 6 short-range LiDARs, and 6 radars, and the firm’s EyeQ system-on-a-chip. With the shuttle, Mobileye is aiming to expand the reach and scale of its autonomous systems beyond its current integrations with delivery and taxi services.

Beep will contribute its deployment and operations systems alongside its technologies and services to the project. The autonomous mobility provider will also leverage its recent work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure safety is at the core of the shuttle’s lifecycle – through design, development, production, and operations.

Executives from Benteler, Beep, and Mobileye confirmed that the shuttles will operate within contained geo-fenced areas, running at speeds up to 35 mph (56 km/h) when transporting passengers. In the first year of the shuttles being deployed, they expect to have around 200 units on roads in the United States. The companies will then look to expand the reach of the project, with the aim to scale operations to between 10,000 and 15,000 operational shuttles globally. While the shuttles will be produced in the U.S., no further details were provided on where it will be based or when it is expected to commence.

With these new software features, Cummins will extend these core capabilities into the ADS space as well. The company is actively testing more than 100 vehicles in coordination with several ADS technology companies to ensure seamless powertrain integration as ADS solutions enter commercial vehicle markets globally.

Through these collaborations, Cummins aims to refine the solutions for commercial markets in an efficient, safe, smart, and successful manner. It is using both its technological expertise and deep experience in global commercial markets around the world to provide solutions that deliver real-time optimization of the job, route, and load.

For the integration of the technology into the all-electric ID. BUZZ AD, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has founded a dedicated business section  and partnered with Argo AI, the US-headquartered autonomous vehicle technology platform company that is developing the self-driving system. Earlier this year, Argo integrated its self-driving system with a Volkswagen vehicle prototype to begin testing in Germany.

Both Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Argo AI regard the use of a combination of sensors – including lidar, radar and cameras – essential for safe autonomous driving capability. Argo AI recently unveiled its new lidar sensor, Argo Lidar, which allows it to see objects from 400 meters away. Argo AI’s proprietary Geiger-mode lidar has the ability to detect the smallest particle of light — a single photon — which is key to sensing objects with low reflectivity.

There are also concrete plans for the commercial use of the future technology for transport service providers. Volkswagen Group subsidiary MOIA will in 2025 become the first user of the self-driving ID. BUZZ AD.

The on-demand service, which includes four May Mobility Lexus RX450h vehicles and one wheelchair-accessible Polaris GEM equipped with May Mobility’s autonomous technology, operates within a 1.36 sq. mile service zone that includes more than 20 designated pick up and drop off areas in downtown Grand Rapids. The May Mobility AV shuttles are free to ride and operate Monday – Friday from 7am – 7 pm.

“The City of Grand Rapids has enjoyed its partnership with May Mobility to provide innovative mobility options through the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle Initiative. We look forward to embarking on this next phase together and support continued development of autonomous mobility technology while providing another equitable mobility option to connect underserved neighborhoods in Ward 1 to the downtown area,” said Justin Kimura, the Assistant Director of Mobile GR

Transitioning to “On Demand”
May Mobility has adopted Via’s autonomous fleet platform to power booking, routing, passenger and vehicle assignment and identification, customer experience, and fleet management as part of their new flexible transit solution for this Grand Rapids deployment. The partners have a long-term strategy to introduce driverless on-demand shared transit systems in multiple locations. The Grand Rapids launch follows the companies’ joint RAPID autonomous vehicle service in Arlington, Texas. RAPID offers autonomous vehicle rides as part of the City of Arlington’s large on-demand public transit service with Via, and is the first-of-its kind in the US.

Riders can request vehicles within the designated area of service by downloading the May Mobility mobile application, which is available for both Android and iOS devices. The app shows the rider the nearest pickup location and suggested drop off location within closest proximity to their point of interest.