Fully self-driving shuttles to be tested on public roads as from 2018
In 2018, anyone seeing a vehicle out on the public road without a chauffeur will not need to question their sanity. Following recent tests involving a bus shuttle without a chauffeur on a private circuit in Malmédy, the time is now ripe to get into a higher gear. Not that we are talking high speeds: although 20 km/hr can be achieved in principle, the speed during test drives remains at 11 km/hr.
These environmentally-friendly vehicles are able to detect movement, stop and interact with other road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, in order to avoid collisions. They are fitted with four so-called Lidars (Light Detection and Ranging), lasers that use light impulses to measure the distance to objects or surfaces and in doing so scan the environment. This can be compared with radar technology, in which not light but sound waves are emitted. Until now the vehicles have been restricted to driving in a 'protected' environment, in which there is no interaction with other vehicles. In the future they are likely to be used as an additional means of transport. For example, people would drive with their own vehicles to a car park on the edge of town and then transfer to a self-driving shuttle which would take them to the centre. Ideal to cover short journeys and a great addition to existing public transport.
Extreme weather conditions, a cyber attack, existing traffic legislation, accident liability and the public infrastructure are all currently blocking this technology.