Startup Drive.ai will now bring its automated shuttle service to Arlington.
Drive.ai is already active in Texas and runs an autonomous shuttle service there. Specifically, one is represented in the city of Frisco. Now you also want to expand to Arlington, which is also in the US state Texas lies.
Drive.ai Van with exterior monitors. Source: smartcitiesdive
The announcement regarding the expansion also stated that Arlington will be operated from October. The project will be carried out there for at least one year. For this you want to use three vehicles. These vans will then drive through the city’s entertainment district. The vans from Drive.ai reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, which is around 55 kilometers per hour.
However, the area is limited to geo-fencing and the vans travel on fixed routes. To be on the safe side, it will initially be surveillance personnel aboard the shuttles. The costs, amounting to $ 434,952, will be borne pro rata by the federal government. If the city of Arlington is ready to do that, two more vehicles can be parked for service, according to Drive.ai.
The vehicles are equipped with external monitors for the Communication with the environment fitted. There will be displayed what you expect the car. For example, “Waiting” or “Crossing” appears when waiting at zebra crossings. Even if people board, there is appropriate information. If the vehicle is not in Autonomous Mode, the text “Human Driver” lights up.
Arlington also recently ended the Milo program. It was also an autonomous shuttle service. Also the company Via, that with Mercedes Benz working together and providing an on-demand service is represented in Arlington. And also this service, so the plan, is to be equipped with automated vehicles.
source (English)