A future driverless transport technology will be on display at the UK Pavilion at this week’s ITS World Congress in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with a showcase of the country’s leading role in the development and integration of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).
Visitors to the UK Pavilion will be able to see and experience demonstrations of self-driving vehicles from pioneering UK-based companies RDM and Westfield, which are currently live-testing their autonomous shuttles and pods in Milton Keynes and London.
In addition, Immense Simulations, Nicander and the Satellite Applications Catapult will demonstrate their autonomous fleet management systems, intelligent mobility (IM) software, and use of satellites to tackle transport challenges.
The Pavilion will highlight the UK government’s £200m (US$265m) investment in CAV technology, its open regulatory framework, and the nation’s depth of expertise. They will also discuss how organizations around the world can develop their own leading-edge technology in the UK.
Above:Â Canadian Minister of International Trade Francois-Philippe Champagne and British High Commissioner to Canada Susan le Jeune d’Allegeershecque.
The Pavilion is also highlighting the growing collaboration between the UK and Canada following their recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner in research, development and innovation, strengthening ties between government bodies, knowledge-based institutions, technology clusters and businesses. A week after the national agreement, the UK signed another MoU with the province of Ontario on transformative technologies.
The UK Pavilion features:
• Immense Simulations – developer of the ImSim prediction engine for IM, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), and the integration of CAVs;
• RDM Group – an engineering company that designs and builds the self-driving pods currently being tested within urban environments;
• Aurrigo – a new RDM division that develops CAVs from the ground up, and offers a full ‘in the field’ operating service;
• Westfield Autonomous Vehicles – a manufacturer that builds the POD (Passenger On Demand) system for last -mile urban transport;
• Nicander – a software developer delivering a range of ITS, from apps to complex IT systems for national transport information and control;
• Center for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) – a joint policy unit for the Department for Transport (DFT) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and a single point of contact for anyone with an interest in CAVs;
• Innovate UK – an agency that supports businesses to realize the potential of new technologies;
• Transport Systems Catapult – the UK’s technology and innovation center for IM.
“Some of the best of UK expertise in autonomous vehicle technology will be on display at ITS in Montreal,” noted Kevin McGurgan, British Consul General to Toronto. “The British government’s network in Canada is keen to facilitate collaboration in this cutting-edge sector, with enormous potential for development in both countries.”
