The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria has released details of four trials they are currently involved with, that will shape the future of public transport in this country.
According to Brian Negus, RACV’s general manager public policy, the RACV has signed memorandums of understanding for four real-time trials happening across Melbourne.
The most significant, a collaboration with HMI Technologies for a NAVYA autonomous bus trial.
A driverless bus will be shipped to Australia for a trial in a yet to be determined city location.
The bus will conduct shuttle trips from large sites such as Melbourne Airport, La Trobe University or Monash University, with the planners currently assessing the best locations based on the required private roads and wide spread car parks.
“It’s an exciting project. The trial will assess people’s reactions to the NAVYA bus, as well as the vehicle’s ability to navigate the existing roads, given it is autonomous.”
In addition to gauging public perception to the concept. The trial will determine and identify the technology and infrastructure communications system needed for a NAVYA bus to one day to be licensed to operate safely on public roads.
Meanwhile, two autonomous vehicle trials for cars will also be conducted on Eastlink and on parts of Citylink, while the streets in a section of Fitzroy and Collingwood (between Hoddle and Nicholson streets and Alexandra and Victoria parades) are being wired with smart city technology.
The smart city test bed in Fitzroy is part of a research program being conducted by Melbourne University in which the bitumen will converse with existing semi-autonomous vehicles, such as high-end Mercedes-Benz vehicles, BMWs and Audis.
“There will be more and more vehicles, apart from the Teslas that will be fitted with smart technology, so the whole idea of these trials is to look at vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems but also the human interface as well,” Mr Negus said.
