RAC WA to trial on-demand automated vehicles in Perth

Perth has been announced as one of three worldwide locations for testing the Navya Autonom, an automated vehicle providing on-demand transport.

The trial is the result of a partnership between the RAC, Navya, and the Western Australian Government. The vehicle is a Navya Autonom, designed to carry up to six passengers, and although capable of a speed of 90 kilometres per hour, will likely be limited to between 20 to 50 kilometres per hour for the trial.

Customers will book trips through the use of a smartphone app, just as with the current on-demand trial in Sydney.

On-board tech helping the Autonom vehicles operate and navigate includes:

• 10 Lidar sensors
• 4 radar sensors
• 6 cameras
• 2 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antennae

Navya has designed the vehicle’s systems so as to provide triple-redundancy, ensuring safety and reliability.

Preparing for the (near) future

“Increasing levels of automation in vehicles are an inevitable part of the future, and the notion of them being in widespread use on our roads is not a question of if, but when,” said RAC Group CEO, Terry Agnew.

“RAC recognises that in order to adapt to new technologies, we must start preparing a roadmap of changes by way of trials to determine what will need to occur for automated vehicles to safely transition on to our roads.”

When will the trial start?

The Navya Autonom vehicles are expected to arrive in Perth in April 2018. More details, including the operating area and hours, will be announced in coming months.