Phase 2 of the FLEX Autonomous shuttle trial has begun
We are pleased to announce that phase 2 of the FLEXible use case – enhancing the Tonsley shuttle trial project has now started in South Australia, with iMOVE supporting the effort to build on what was learnt in phase 1 of the trial through new objectives and use cases.
Susan Close, the South Australian Deputy Premier, visited Tonsley to launch phase 2. She took a journey in the automated shuttle bus and inspected the nearby operations control centre as part of her visit. Partners in the trial the Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure. Flinders University, the Royal Automobile Association of SA, and of course iMOVE were also present at the event, a clear illustration of the high level of collaboration needed to deliver this kind of initiative.
Additional collaborators on the project are SAGE Automation, Keolis Downer, and Navya.
Project objectives
The new use cases in Phase 2 are very much an investigation of ‘What’s next?” for this mode of transport. Proposed project objectives are:
- Commence operating FLEX without a chaperone on the proposed route.
- A V2X test bed, with:
- Complete V2I testing at the Alawoona Avenue traffic light
- Other message usage
- Introduction of an on-demand service.
- Develop an Autonomous Vehicle Living Lab at Tonsley, and include a Mobility as a Service trial.
On-demand trial
The on-demand use case aspect of the trial could involve testing the feasibility of the opportunity to provide an option to allow the approximately 50 residents of the Tonsley residential district something that was requested in Phase 1 of the trial. Their request was to be dropped off at their houses in the village, which was unfortunately outside the scope of the initial project.
However, in Phase 2 it is proposed that these requests could be accommodated. In addition to the extra stops added that are closer to residences, the shuttle chaperone could see to a deviation on the route to take residents right to their door.
The FLEX shuttle could be also be timed to meet arriving trains at the nearby Clovelly Park station, satisfying trip requirements of the area’s first intake of residents, Flinders University students, and their accessibility and mobility requirements.
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