Focusing on solidifying its level 4, fully autonomous shuttle operations over 2020, EasyMile has become the first in Germany to transport passengers on a closed site without a safety operator on board—a significant milestone as the country gets closer to setting a legal framework for driverless vehicles on public roads.
The shuttle, known as EMil, first began transporting passengers on the GreenTEC Campus in Schleswig-Holstein, in 2018. An attendant was on board at all times at the beginning of the project, with the ability to take over operations if needed. After hundreds of miles and hours driven the team, in collaboration with project partners including EurA AG, began the extensive testing and training required to safely move to fully autonomous operation.
At first, they took the operator out for an hour or two a day, closely monitoring the shuttle. After about six months, the operator was removed completely. Attendants who were once on board now monitor the shuttle from a supervision center and can still intervene if necessary.
“This isn’t the first time an autonomous vehicle has been deployed without an operator on board in Germany, but what makes this special is we are transporting people on this campus,” said Benedikt Sperling, EasyMile’s managing director for DACH and Eastern Europe. “It’s a good way for us to learn and improve our technology.”
GreenTEC was an ideal match for this project because of its remote location between the North and Baltic Seas and its commitment to technologies that promote sustainability.
A Big Step Forward
The move to fully autonomous operation is a major milestone for Germany, Sperling said, especially given the federal government’s imminent plan to regulate level 4 autonomous vehicle operation on public roads. These vehicles are only permitted on private sites for now, but these types of tests can help them eventually achieve safe operation in more complex environments at higher speeds.
Today, the shuttle travels a 1.5-mile preplanned route at about 10 mph on the private campus, which is home to 30 renewable energy companies. Currently it makes four stops along the way; the next step is to expand the route length and add more stops.
Shuttle Sustainability
LiDARs and cameras recognize obstacles and allow the shuttle to orient to its surroundings. GPS and data fusion algorithms process the information so the vehicle can travel using a preprogrammed map with centimeter level accuracy. If the sensor set identifies something in its path, the vehicle reacts. That information is also sent to the supervision center.
“Clean vehicles must also be intelligent and connected. Therefore, for us, E- and A-mobility only go together,” Managing Director of the GreenTEC Campus Marten Jensen said in a news release about the deployment. “EMil is more than just a people mover; he could also fulfill other uses like delivering parcels or even green electricity to households at night. That is our vision of intelligent mobility. With EasyMile as your partner, this can be tested in real-world situations.”
Green mobility is a priority for GreenTEC, and that spurred interest in deploying autonomous shuttles on campus. The shuttle is even powered by wind energy, which is something the GreenTEC team is proud of.
“Due to our unique location at the sea, wind energy is our main drive. The EZ10 is operated on campus with wind fuel from our wind turbines,” Jensen said, according to the release. “It couldn’t be any more sustainable.”
