Following the first self-driving shuttles hitting public roads this week in the Netherlands, it was announced that the driverless vehicles at Heathrow airport will be expanding to join a driverless car project. The autonomous fleet will take on the streets of London's borough Greenwich this summer as part of a testing period. This entirely British endeavor is a collaborative one between Heathrow Enterprises, Oxbotica and Westfield Sportscars in the GATEway driverless car project.
The electric Ultra PODs have been in use at the international airport for five years, shuttling passengers on tracks across terminals. The future trial will place the vehicles on the open road, without any tracks to guide them. A cloud-based management platform will synchronize the fleet, while users can book an Ultra POD with a smartphone app.
Driverless Shuttle Trials (UPDATE)
Heathrow's Ultra POD Will Join GATEway's Driverless Car Project
Trend Themes
1. Driverless Vehicles - The expansion of driverless vehicles in public transportation, as seen in the Heathrow Ultra PODs, presents opportunities for autonomous technology development.
2. Cloud-based Management - The use of cloud-based management platforms in coordinating autonomous fleets, such as the one for the Ultra PODs, presents opportunities for digital infrastructure development.
3. Smartphone Bookings - The ability to book autonomous vehicles through smartphone apps, as with the Ultra PODs, presents opportunities for mobile application development.
Industry Implications
1. Transportation - The implementation of driverless transportation, such as the Ultra PODs, presents opportunities for transportation industry advancements.
2. Autonomous Technology - The expansion of autonomous technology in public transportation, as seen with the Ultra PODs, presents opportunities for automation technology development.
3. Mobile Applications - The use of smartphone apps for booking autonomous vehicles, such as with the Ultra PODs, presents opportunities for mobile application industry growth.