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

  • Petrol/diesel cars could be fined for using London’s ‘electric streets’
    September 4, 2018
    Drivers in London, UK, could be fined £130 for not using electric or hybrid vehicles on nine ‘electric streets’. The project is intended to cut pollution and improve air quality. Drivers of petrol and diesel cars will be restricted from using some roads in the Shoreditch and Old Street areas of the city between 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays.
    Read More
  • Upgrading New Yorks's traffic signal timings
    February 28, 2013
    The New York City Department of Transportation instituted the Midtown in Motion project to promote multimodal mobility in the Midtown Core of Manhattan, a 110 square block area or “zone” from Second to Sixth Avenue and 42nd to 57th Street. Control extended from 86th Street to 23rd Street, focused on the core zone. MiM provides signal timing changes on two levels: Level 1 control starts from a pre-stored library of timing plans. These are designed offline and are relevant to arterials inside the Midtown stud
    Read More
  • Kirk Steudle nominated to receive IRF Man of the Year award
    December 3, 2018
    Kirk Steudle, former director of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDoT), has been nominated to receive the IRF Man of the Year award. Established in 1951, IRF's Man (Woman) of the Year award recognises public, private and education sector professionals with an outstanding track record of leadership and commitment to the road transport industry. Abdullah A. Al-Mogbel, chairman, IRF, says: "This accolade crowns an exceptional career and a highly respected voice on innovation in transportation, at
    Read More
  • Uber ‘disabled braking system’ in fatal crash
    May 30, 2018
    Uber had disabled the emergency braking function of the Volvo XC90 which killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona in March. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says the car was “operating with a self-driving system in computer control mode” when it struck 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, who was pushing a bicycle across the road. According to the NTSB report, Uber said “emergency braking manoeuvres are not enabled while the vehicle is under computer control, to reduce the
    Read More

Highlighted Content