The Vice President of Region II and President of the Automobile Association of Ceylon (AAC), Dhammika Attygalle and his team comprising ExCo Member P.B. Kulatunga and Secretary Devapriya Hettiarachchi and Engineer C.L. Liyanasuriya attended the launch of an autonomous vehicle (driverless shuttle) in Perth, Western Australia under the FIA Region II Club Development Program recently.
The driverless and fully electric shuttle bus, able to travel at a maximum speed of 40 kilometres per hour, was brought to Western Australia under the Royal Automobile Club’s plan to trial autonomous vehicle technology.
During the trial period it will be run at 15 kmph. RAC through NAVYA, a French company specializing in intelligent transport systems will test the shuttle bus in the coming months.
With autonomous features such as radar cruise control and lane detection, warning systems already available in many vehicles, many vehicle manufacturers indicated that self-driving cars will hit the market as early as next year.
The shuttle bus is fitted with multi-sensor technology providing 3D perception that allows it to map the environment, detect obstacles on the road and interpret traffic signs.
The shuttle bus was the result of 10 years of research and expertise which allows it to achieve the highest level of autonomy possible.
The cost of the vehicle is Euro 220,000 and it can transport 11 seated and four standing passengers.
The autonomous vehicle is no longer science fiction. It is rapidly advancing and is the biggest disruption to transport and mobility since the invention of motor cars.