Public invited to take part in Greenwich driverless pod trial

Members of the public are invited to trial a fleet of driverless pods operating on a 3.4km route around Greenwich Peninsula as part of the £100m ($139m) Gateway project’s final phase. The pilot aims to understand the public acceptance of, and attitudes towards, driverless vehicles. The four pods will use advanced sensors and autonomy software to detect and avoid obstacles while carrying passengers. The vehicles, developed by Westfield Sportscars and Heathrow Enterprises, have no steering wheels or typical
March 9, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Members of the public are invited to trial a fleet of driverless pods operating on a 3.4km route around Greenwich Peninsula as part of the £100m ($139m) Gateway project’s final phase. The pilot aims to understand the public acceptance of, and attitudes towards, driverless vehicles.

The four pods will use advanced sensors and autonomy software to detect and avoid obstacles while carrying passengers. The vehicles, developed by Westfield Sportscars and Heathrow Enterprises, have no steering wheels or typical controls.

Fusion Processing’s automation system provides control and its Cavstar software combines GPS with radar and lidar to help the pods safely negotiate objects in their path. The technology is also said to enable the vehicles to operate in adverse weather conditions and in the dark.

A safety steward will remain on-board throughout the test to comply with the UK’s code of practice on autonomous vehicle testing.

Richard Cuerden, academy director, TRL, said: “As we explore the future of mobility solutions, it is essential that we consider the experience and benefits delivered to the consumer. This is why understanding and exploring the public perception of automated services has always been at the heart of the Gateway Project.

Related Content

  • A SIMPL idea from Seyond
    November 7, 2024
    Intersection management solution combines Lidar and AI for traffic signal control
    Read More
  • Inertial sensors dramatically improve GNSS for ITS applications
    January 18, 2012
    Phil Harris, Thales UK, on how fused sensor data can significantly enhance GNSS-based positioning systems' performance in urban areas. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based positioning is unique among available positioning technology due to its universal coverage and low equipment cost. By measuring the distances between an unknown position (such as a vehicle), and at least three known positions (GPS satellites), the unknown position can be calculated in three dimensions (latitude, longitude, and
    Read More
  • EIT Mobility’s A-Z of Uvar
    January 31, 2023
    Well-implemented vehicle mobility schemes offer cities quick ways to improve the quality of urban life - and now EIT Mobility has written a guide to doing so. Andrew Stone has a read…
    Read More
  • European Commission: tighter rules for safer/cleaner cars
    December 12, 2017
    The European Commission (EC), European Parliament and the Council have reached a political agreement on the commission proposal from January 2016 to raise the quality level and independence of type-approval and testing before a car is placed on the market. It would enable the EC to be able to initiate EU-wide recalls and impose penalties on manufacturers or technical services of up to €30,000 (£26,000) per non-compliant car.
    Read More

Highlighted Content