• A Texas airport has begun testing a driverless shuttle outfitted with cameras and sensors to ensure passengers are transported safely and without the danger of being hit.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday announced the electric autonomous vehicle called Easy Mile EZ10 will be tested for six months in an environmental and people-moving project.
An airport attendant is present to help travelers and for safety purposes.
The shuttle, with seating for six and room for other passengers to stand, has a pre-programmed route between the Barbara Jordan Terminal and the rental car/ground transportation sites.
The shuttle, operating on the upper level of Garage 1, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and has wheelchair accessibility.
Airport spokesman Bryce Dubee says it’s another mobility option for travellers.
• Self-driving cars are set to start picking up passengers in a New York City industrial park.
Starting today, six autonomous shuttles operated by Boston-based startup Optimus Ride will take riders on a loop to a ferry dock in Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The free service is expected to transport some 500 passengers daily on the yard’s internal roads.
The company says two employees will ride along at first to ensure the software works properly.
New York’s state legislature passed a bill in 2017 allowing companies to test self-driving cars on public roads, but just a few limited tests have taken place.
Optimus Ride, which has roots at MIT, has already tested cars in the Boston area.
It plans to launch similar programmes in Virginia and California.
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