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Futuristic vehicles trialled against a cinematic backdrop
The historic setting of Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, well known to fans of the Harry Potter and The Transformers film franchises, was the backdrop to a four-day trial of futuristic self-driving vehicles earlier this month (June 2022).
Aurrigo, a leading developer of zero emission autonomous vehicles, some of which are already in service at airports around the world, ran the trial as part of a major new study led by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and insight and strategy specialists BritainThinks.
A WEEKEND TO EXPLORE SELF DRIVING
Local residents enjoyed the opportunity to attend ‘The Great Self Driving Exploration’ weekend, during which they could take a closer look at self-driving vehicles, ask questions and enjoy a ride.
The first time that self-driving vehicles have been tested in rural communities, the trials saw Aurrigo’s Auto-Pod carry up to two passengers on a shared 500-metre path that connects Alnwick Gardens to Alnwick Castle.
Aurrigo’s Auto-Shuttle, which can hold up to six people for this trial, was also operating, taking people from the bus station to the castle on a 1.2km route that was shared with live traffic, including cars, bikes and pedestrians.
Both electric self-driving vehicles use a suite of sensors to understand their surroundings.
Ricky Raines, Operations Manager, Aurrigo, said: “It’s great to be showcasing our technology in such a beautiful location and the feedback we have received will be important in the future development of self-driving vehicles.”
POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT FREIGHT DELIVERIES
As well as being able to carry passengers, Aurrigo says that the self-driving vehicles can be used for first and last-mile freight deliveries too. The company used its appearance at Alnwick Castle to reveal its Auto-Deliver for the first time. A static display gave people the chance to look around the self-driving delivery vehicle, which has the potential to revolutionise the way we receive our weekly grocery shop. Designed to enable organisations to make multi-drops using the power of password/QR protected compartments, the autonomous vehicle is ideal for serving housing estates, university campuses or business parks.
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison MP said: “Self-driving technology has the potential to reform the way we travel from A to B, making our future journeys easier, more environmentally friendly and, crucially, safer.
“I’m committed to ensuring this innovation improves road safety and, as we work to safely introduce self-driving vehicles to our roads in the coming years, it’s key the public is closely involved in the journey.”
ACCOMMODATING THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY
Michelle Gardner, Head of Public Policy and decarbonisation lead at Logistics UK, said: “While there has been a lot of interest in driverless vehicles, public trials of autonomous vehicles, such as the one run by Aurrigo at Alnwick Castle recently, bring the real-world potential of this emerging technology to life.
“It is highly probable that an increasing level of autonomy in logistics will go hand in hand with the sector’s race to decarbonise in the coming decades. We will continue to work with Zenzic, CCAV and other interested stakeholders to ensure that the needs of the logistics industry are accommodated as this technology continues to develop at pace.”
*www.logistics.org.uk/environment
Published On: 30/06/2022 16:00:15
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