Cambridge may very well be one of many first UK cities to see a fleet of low-speed, autonomous autos (AVs) hit its roads.
The CitiPod feasibility research is one in every of 14 initiatives to have been awarded funding and assist from the UK Authorities and trade by means of the Linked and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder Feasibility Research (FS) Competitors, delivered by Innovate UK and Zenzic.
Led by Cambridge Electrical Transport, the research goals to exhibit the viability of deploying low-speed autonomous autos in city excessive site visitors density areas in addition to pedestrian areas, growing operational effectivity, higher commuter companies, and bettering high quality of life in city areas.
Integrating light-weight, electrical autonomous pods just like the CitiPod into Cambridge’s public transport system would assist slash carbon emissions and make transport extra accessible and inexpensive for everybody.
Cambridge Electrical Transport has spent a number of years creating its UK-built CitiPod and may the feasibility research show a hit and the pods are ultimately deployed on Cambridge roads, the corporate is hopeful it might go on to grow to be one other export success story for British CAM.
“Our expertise with shared micromobility in Cambridgeshire has made us conscious of the potential for quadricycles to be extra inclusive than bikes and scooters when it comes to age, capacity and gender,” says Sean Moroney, CEO at Cambridge Electrical Transport. “As well as, light-weight autos such because the CitiPod that we’re creating symbolize a decrease security threat and will be deployed for a variety of autonomous use circumstances on a comparatively low value foundation. One of many ache factors in shared micromobility is bike and scooter litter on pavements. Autonomous autos that may slowly drive themselves to designated parking areas as soon as riders full their rides will eradicate this.”
Early exams of autonomous pods and shuttles in densely populated areas throughout the UK have already demonstrated important advantages for communities, from bettering accessibility to decreasing social isolation, tackling driver shortages and providing a extra sustainable and cost-effective mode of transport.
The Higher Cambridge Partnership is supporting the research by serving to to design use circumstances, make sure the work hyperlinks with native transport technique, and apply its expertise of deploying autonomous autos.
“That is an early-stage analysis venture that explores how low-speed autonomous autos might reshape the way in which individuals and items transfer round Cambridge,” provides Dan Clarke, head of expertise and innovation at Higher Cambridge Partnership. “Past passenger transport, there’s potential for light-weight, electrical pods to assist for instance extra sustainable freight actions and enhance accessibility in our metropolis. It’s about understanding how this expertise might complement our present transport community and assist us construct a cleaner, extra inclusive future for everybody.”
The Feasibility Research (FS) Competitors is a part of the £150million CAM Pathfinder programme which was introduced within the Authorities’s long-awaited Industrial Technique.
The UK Authorities sees a thriving CAM ecosystem as being key to driving innovation and serving to it realise its ambition of making a £40bn CAM sector and over 6,500 jobs within the trade by 2040.
Mark Cracknell, program director at Zenzic, says: “We’re thrilled to announce the CitiPod venture, spearheaded by Higher Cambridge Partnership and Cambridge Electrical Transport, as one of many fourteen thrilling CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Research happening throughout the UK.
“The deployment of Linked and Automated Mobility options holds unbelievable promise – enhancing accessibility, decreasing emissions, and fostering a transport community that’s each dependable and inclusive. The CitiPod venture will function a pivotal instance in showcasing these advantages.
“We’re wanting ahead to working with the venture consortia as they additional develop their enterprise case, exhibit the industrial readiness of the service, and supply important perception into the alternatives introduced by the deployment of CAM options in areas all through the UK.”
Picture courtesy of Zenzic
