Automated Road VehiclesDevelopments during 2005

Robert Johnson

R. E. Johnson ConsultingRockville, Maryland

www.autoroadvehicles.com

Advanced Transit Association Technical SeminarJanuary 22, 2006

Automated Road Vehicles

• Steer themselves on a flat surface

• No mechanical constraint

• Self contained power source

• All sizes: 4 passenger to 50 passenger

• Also called:

– Automated (or Automatic) Guided Vehicles

– Road based people movers

ULTra 4-passenger vehicle

Original ParkShuttle in Airport Parking Lot

Major Developments During 2005

• EU-China Project (began December 2004)

• Toyota IMTS bus at EXPO 2005 in Japan

• BAA selects ULTra for Heathrow airport

• Grand Challenge has five finishers

• ParkShuttle II begins operation near Rotterdam

Grand Challenge 2005

• Winner was “Stanley”, a Volkswagen SUV entered by Stanford University

• $2 million prize

• 132 mile course

• Much more difficult than controlling Automated Road Vehicle (ARV)

• But ARV must be more reliable

TRB Session 732 on Automated Road Vehicles

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, 4:30 - 6:00, Hilton

• Benefits and Operation of Hybrid-Electric Road Trains, Bruce McHenry

• CyberC3: Cybercar Automated Vehicles in China, Ming Yang, et al.

• Automated Chain Mobility: Each Mode Its Own Niche, Robbert Lohmann

• Personal Rapid Transit in Relation to Other Forms of Automated Transport, Martin Lowson

Hybrid-Electric Road Trains

• Session devoted to road trains at 12th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, November 2005

• All-electric vehicles might be physically coupled to form “road trains” led by manually driven ICE or electric vehicles

• Could triple lane capacity, double fuel economy

• Could be combined with electric short-term rental cars that are redistributed at low speed by robotic driving

CyberC3: Cybercar Automated Vehicles in China

“For the trial program in Century Park….vehicles will be connected with a central controlling system to carry tourists around the park”

“Passengers choose their destination stop after boarding and get off when the car stops -- just like an elevator”

CyberC3 Test Vehicle

ParkShuttle II

ParkShuttle II Vehicles at Station

Grand Opening

December 1, 2005

Prime Minister Balkenende rides the ParkShuttle

Toyota IMTS bus at EXPO 2005

• Intelligent Multi-mode Transport System

• Driverless platoons on exclusive roadway

• Manual operation of single bus on ordinary streets

• 30 km/hr (19 mph) max at EXPO 2005

Toyota IMTS bus at station

Toyota IMTS Platoon at Station

Toyota IMTS Interior

Toyota IMTS Operator’s Compartment with Transparent Wall (Morizo at wheel)

For more information aboutAutomated Road Vehicles

Please see www.autoroadvehicles.com