Finland sees the launch of new self-driving electric RoboBuses this year – VIDEO
Finland sees the launch of new self-driving electric RoboBuses in autumn this year, Inhabitat.com reports.
The Finnish capital will be launching an autonomous “RoboBusLine” which “represents a shift from an experimental phase to regular, scheduled public transit service with self-driving buses,” according to the City of Helsinki.
The line is part of a wider project called Sohjoa project, which also saw the August 2016 launch of two EasyMile EZ10 electric minibuses in Helsinki. The initiative is included in the EU-financed mySMARTLife program, that encourages European cities to develop energy-efficient mobility and reduce the energy consumption in cities by 10 – 15 percent.
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The electric minibuses have so far been tested in real traffic conditions and are to be monitored until August 2017, with each of the minibuses having a human operator on board in case of emergency. “We focus on a number of aspects including sensor technology, user experience, and how to complement overall public transit services with self-driving buses, ” said Sohjoa project manager, Oscar Nissin of Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
“RoboBus will allow us to test operation in everyday public transit conditions. It will be used to study the long-term operability of self-driving buses and customer behavior,” explained Harri Santamala, project leader and Metropolia’s smart mobility program director.
According to a press release, “Automated, remote-controlled bus service could markedly reduce the costs of the last-mile service and improve access to public transit. The ultimate goal is to increase public transit use and so to reduce cars and needs to drive in the city.”
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