Driverless pod pioneer welcomes positive reaction to trial project
The COVENTRY-based manufacturer helping to pioneer the design and build of driverless vehicles has welcomed the news of positive public support for the project.
RDM Group is helping to deliver LUTZ Pathfinder pod, which is currently undergoing trials in Milton Keynes.
A survey conducted by YouGov has highlighted a growing interest in driverless pods and the benefits they can provide to people living, working and visiting UK cities.
David Keene, RDM chairman, said the news was a major boost for the project.
Commissioned by the Transport Systems Catapult (the organisation overseeing the LUTZ Pathfinder trial), the independent poll found that 61% of adults living in Milton Keynes would be interested in using the electric-powered two-seater ‘pods’ for ‘short hop’ journeys.
That compared to interest levels of 38% among respondents in the UK as a whole. When it came to people in the national survey, who had already heard something about the project before taking part, the figure rose to 48%.
Those behind the project said this suggested that familiarity with the trials was helping to improve public attitudes towards the technology.
“This is a major boost for the project at a time when we are entering the next stage of the trials,” said Keene.
“The work the Transport Systems Catapult has done in raising the profile of LUTZ appears to be paying dividends and, whilst there will always be concerns about something as game-changing as this, there appears a willingness to give it a try.”
Keene said self-driving vehicles had the potential to be a major growth opportunity for the UK in years to come and the work the project was doing could provide a platform for future schemes.
“It has certainly put RDM on the international map and highlights how an advanced engineering business – supported by the right partners – has the potential to lead on future transport solutions,” he added.
The LUTZ Pathfinder pods have been designed and manufactured by RDM Group and are equipped with the fully autonomous control system developed by the University of Oxford’s world-leading Mobile Robotics Group.
Up to three pods are being used during the trial, with each one being driven initially in manual mode as it ‘learns’ its environment. Once they have begun to operate in self-driving mode, a trained test driver will remain for the duration of the trial, ready to take control of the vehicle if required.
The trial will culminate in a public demonstration of the technology, due to take place in Milton Keynes later this year. Findings from the trial will also be fed into the larger-scale three-year ‘UK Autodrive’ programme, which will involve a fleet of 40 pods as well as regular road-based cars operating in Milton Keynes and Coventry.
