Driverless Bus Is Set for Testing
John Simpson | September 13, 2016The city of Lyon, France, has begun a pilot program to test an autonomous public shuttle service.
The NAVLY service—developed with the support of la Métropole de Lyon and Sytral (responsible for all transport in the city's metropolitan area)—consists of two electric, driverless shuttles that provide passenger service along a 1,350-meter road. The vehicles make five stops along the route, which is marked by pictograms on the floor for the benefit of passengers.
The shuttles can carry up to 15 people, with room for 11 seated. Image credit: NAVYA.Designed and manufactured by French vehicle manufacturer NAVYA, the shuttles have no steering wheel or pedals, operate on a battery and use a navigation and sensor system that incorporates the simultaneous use of several technologies, including LIDAR, stereovision cameras, real-time kinematic GPS, an inertial measurement unit, and odometry.
Although the shuttles are capable of reaching speeds of 45km/h, during the trial they will be limited to 20km/h. At an average speed of 15km/h, the vehicles complete a circuit of the 2.7-km route—which is free of road lights, crosswalk and intersections—in roughly 13 minutes and 30 seconds.
The shuttles can carry up to 15 people, with room for 11 seated. A human operator is stationed onboard at all times to ensure the safety of passengers and to answer any questions.