The driverless pod company EasyMile has joined forces with IVECO, Sector, Transpolis, ISAE-SUPAERO, Ifsttar, Inria, and Michelin to develop technologies for autonomous full-size bus.
"The urban bus, as with many other vehicles, is experiencing a technological revolution with the development of autonomous driving systems and the electrification of powertrains," the company says in a statement. "These technologies are revolutionizing public transportation and the way in which it is operated in the coming years, making it more cost-effective, 'greener,' safer, more flexible, and more comfortable."
EasyMile developed a 12-passenger driverless shuttle bus referred to as the EZ10 in 2014 and the company says it has become the most deployed driverless shuttle, having already driven more than 120,000 km in 20 countries with full Level 4 autonomy.
EasyMile says it has has leveraged its experience with the EZ10 to integrate its driverless technology into different vehicle platforms. In October, EasyMile announced a partnership with TLD to develop the first driverless baggage tractors, referred to as the TractEasy. EasyMile will leverage its technology to develop a driverless 12 meters (or 40 foot) bus with a capacity of at least 100 passengers, and either hybrid or electric powered.
Technologies to be integrated into the bus include, for example, safety controls, navigation software, cybersecurity protocols, and deployment processes. EasyMile says it also has one of the most advanced fleet management solutions and one of the first fully dedicated to autonomous vehicles.
'EasyMile is at the forefront of driverless technology development and we're excited to extend the possibilities of its applications. Each customer has specific needs and we are working with different vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to integrate the best technologies, platforms, and processes to address different use cases. These synergies will definitely create value for customers' said Gilbert GAGNAIRE, CEO of EasyMile
The development of the 12 meters driverless bus technology will be subsidized by the French government through an FUI program (Fonds unique interministériel). Project partners (and their roles) include:
? EasyMile, Driverless solution provider
? IVECO, Vehicle provider
? Sector, Safety analysis
? Transpolis, Use case definition, testing and validation of autonomous vehicles in realistic environment
? ISAE-SUPAERO, Semantic localization
? Ifsttar, Research in accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility and user acceptance
? Inria, Multi-sensor fusion and collision avoidance
? Michelin, Connected tires
This project has been certified and supported by CARA (previously LUTB Transport Mobility Systems), Aerospace Valley and NFI (Nouvelle France Industrielle)
