How is Detroit positioned for autonomous driving?

Detroit has been getting a lot of attention lately when it comes to self-driving cars. Last week, the state of Michigan said it would build a corridor between Detroit and Ann Arbor designed for connected and self-driving cars. The state will consider the feasibility of the project over the next 24 months.

Now, according to foreign media reports, on August 19 local time, Detroit announced that it will deploy an auxiliary passenger transportation system, Navya's self-driving shuttle bus, in Motor City to help transport the elderly.

Last year, French self-driving startup Navya received funding from PlanetM, the mobility division of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., to deploy such shuttles. This month, a Navya self-driving shuttle reportedly began operating on a pre-set 1.3-mile route in Detroit, connecting the Brush Park Manor senior activity center and Brewster House to the Detroit Medical Center Heart Hospital.

The shuttle is free and wheelchair accessible. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is only available to residents of the two communities. In addition, the bus is equipped with a safety operator who is responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers and providing relevant knowledge about the shuttle. The service will be available from August 12 and will run until mid-October.

A Navya spokesperson said the shuttle can normally accommodate 11 seated passengers and four standing passengers, or one wheelchair passenger and eight seated passengers, including the operator. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the service is currently limited to two passengers and one operator. The shuttle uses a Q'Straint system to protect wheelchairs, and the vehicle can reach a top speed of 15 mph.

The project is a collaboration between Navya, Michigan's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, clean energy business accelerator NextEnergy, and fleet optimization service provider Bestmile. Other partners include Flagstar Bank, AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), local utility DTE Energy, and IXR Mobility, which is responsible for providing safety operators.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, passengers and operators are required to wear masks and use designated seating to maintain social distance, and vehicle surfaces are disinfected between trips.

Navya is not the first company to deploy self-driving shuttles on public roads in Detroit. Ann Arbor-based self-driving shuttle provider May Mobility has been operating six-passenger self-driving shuttles in Detroit since June 2018.