IVECO BUS AND EASYMILE TAKE ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS CITY BUSES
A new step was thus taken with successful tests as part of the Star (Rapid Autonomous Transport System) research project. The bus has demonstrated its ability to operate autonomously on its own site on dedicated lanes but also on private sites. This is a crucial step for the development of autonomous transport in Europe.
Connected and automated transport systems are considered “essential if the European Transport Industry is to preserve and consolidate its global competitiveness” according to this report. With a length of 12 m, the bus can accommodate around 100 passengers in optimal conditions of safety, security and comfort. In-vehicle technology includes safety sensors and navigation software.
EasyMile brings one of the most advanced fleet management systems and one of the first totally dedicated to autonomous vehicles. The bus, developed jointly by EasyMile and Iveco Bus, has been the subject of in-depth experiments and development on the Transpolis test track as well as on Iveco and EasyMile’s own test sites. It has been driving in all seasons in different weather conditions, achieving peak performance at this stage.
The Autonomous Driving System (ADS) built into the vehicle, allows the bus to repeatedly land accurately within 10cm of the docks. This is particularly important since it improves accessibility, in particular for wheelchair users.
The maximum speeds reached by the bus in autonomous mode have shown that the technology also works well up to 40 km / h. Further testing has shown that the software vendor’s multimodal tracking technology in particular is also effective at stand-alone speeds above 70 km / h. Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2X) capabilities allow the bus to anticipate traffic light phases, which means a smooth stop and start as well as reduced energy consumption. The precision of maneuvers and stops also allows automatic parking in the depot.
