Automated Vehicle technology is changing the way America’s infrastructure is planned and built. Recently, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority selected Stantec to provide Autonomous Mobility Services for the Marion Street Transitway, and during the Florida Automated Vehicle Summit the driverless shuttle prototype was unveiled.
Safety-first design
Designed and manufactured by COAST, the COAST P-1 Self-Driving Shuttle is a bi-directional vehicle equipped with LIDAR sensors, stereo cameras, GPS, and V2X technology to transport passengers during daytime hours. With redundant safety applications and a ground-breaking electric drivetrain explicitly built for autonomy, the P-1 shuttle has been designed to provide safe, passenger-friendly autonomous transportation
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The COAST system works by first recording a 3D map of the entire site in which the vehicle will operate. COAST then programs vehicles to learn the entire network of possible routes within the environment. Once the vehicle learns the environment, the COAST software transforms the vehicle into a driverless shuttle to provide route based or on-demand service.
HART will have a second prototype with a finished interior by December, and the shuttles will be running in time for the NHL All-Star Game the weekend of January.
The future of transportation
Along with unveiling the new HART shuttles, demonstrators showcased the latest in technology and automated, connected, electric and shared applications currently found in vehicles, future deployment opportunities, and unique public-private partnerships.
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The event gave a glimpse at the future of autonomous freight and transit operations, maintenance of traffic safety devices, connected vehicle applications, electrically powered transit vehicles and other shared-use developments.
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