Skip to main content

RTA Dubai and Next Future Transport launch autonomous pods

The Roads Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai, in collaboration with Next Future Transport, is testing autonomous mobility pods on the sidelines of the World Government Summit as part of its effort under the future accelerators initiatives. The trial also supports the city's Self-Driving Strategy to make 25% of public transport autonomous by 2030. These pods are designed with the intention of travelling short and medium distances in dedicated lanes and can be coupled in 15 to 20 seconds or detached, depen
February 15, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The Roads Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai, in collaboration with Next Future Transport, is testing autonomous mobility pods on the sidelines of the World Government Summit as part of its effort under the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external future accelerators initiatives false http://www.dubaifuture.gov.ae/our-initiatives/dubai-future-accelerators/ false false%>. The trial also supports the city's Self-Driving Strategy to make 25% of public transport autonomous by 2030.


These pods are designed with the intention of travelling short and medium distances in dedicated lanes and can be coupled in 15 to 20 seconds or detached, depending on the rider's destination, in five seconds. Cameras and electromechanical technologies carry out the coupling and detaching processes, which can be activated in-motion.

Each pod can carry up to ten passengers and has an average speed of 20 k/h. It comes with a three-hour battery capacity; which is chargeable in six hours.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA, said: "The RTA has signed an agreement with the American Next Future Inc. to develop autonomous units named NX1 as part of the initial phase of Dubai Future Accelerators. The prototypes of these units are manufactured in Italy and shipped to Dubai to put them on trials. These pods run on a virtual pre-configured and programmed lane and are overseen by the operational system.

“The success of initial tests of these units will bring about a breakthrough in transportation systems that offer innovative mobility solutions and ease snarls in the city. The RTA is keen on ensuring the principle of safety in all services delivered to clients. The autonomous pods have three protection systems in order to ensure full control and avoid crashing into any body. The main system comprises 3D cameras, and the second one is a standby system based on ordinary cameras, and the last is operated manually by the operator.”

Related Content

  • ITS World Congress 2017 - call for papers deadline is 3 March
    February 24, 2017
    There is still time to submit papers for the 24th ITS World Congress 2017 in Montreal, which is hosted by ITS America will host the event from, 29 October to 2 November, with the theme of ‘Integrated Mobility Driving Smart Cities’. If you have undertaken research on an advanced ITS topic, the World Congress International Program Committee invites you to present your findings in Montreal by submitting a paper through the submission website. (link submission.itsworldcongress2017.org.) The Call for Spe
  • An analysis of real-world crashes involving self-driving vehicles
    October 30, 2015
    A study by the University of Michigan performed a preliminary analysis of the cumulative on-road safety record of self-driving vehicles for three of the ten companies that are currently approved for such vehicle testing in California (Google, Delphi, and Audi). The analysis compared the safety record of these vehicles with the safety record of all conventional vehicles in the US for 2013 (adjusted for underreporting of crashes that do not involve a fatality).
  • Lyft updates app to boost two-wheeled travel
    October 2, 2019
    Lyft is tweaking its app in a bid to make it easier for users to switch between different modes of travel - including scooters, bikes, public transit and car rentals. The ride-share firm has added shared bikes and scooters to its app over the past year and says more people are opting for its ‘greenest ride options’. The app displays mobility options in a city and Lyft says it helps users find the safest routes for bikes and scooters. The app will also allow users to compare the time and cost acro
  • Nexus to upgrade Tyne Wear Metro control room in UK
    July 27, 2018
    Nexus will install a computerised signalling control system at the Tyne and Wear Metro control room, in Newcastle, to help make train operations more efficient. The £12m project will take place from 4-5 August. Nexus is a UK public body which owns and manages Metro. The rapid transit and light rail system serves Newcastle upon Tyne, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland in the Tyne and Wear region. Derby-based technology company Resonate will supply the computerised signalling control system