A driverless pod, originating from Coventry, England, has arrived in Australia as part of a partnership between the Australian Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI) and autonomous vehicle developer RDM Group.
The new autonomous pod is coming to Australia off the back of the UK’s first public autonomous trial in September, and will be on display at the 23rd World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Melbourne this October.
Delegates to the conference will be able to explore the pod on the ADVI stand and talk to technical experts about the technology and its capabilities, which include a top speed of 15 miles-per-hour off highway, an operational range of 60 miles and the fact it can be built in two, four, six and eight-seater variants.
Rita Excell, Executive Director of the ADVI Centre of Excellence said that ADVI and its partners look forward to working with RDM to make Australia one of the countries pioneering on-road driverless vehicle research.
“Australia has become a global hub for driverless vehicle innovation by supporting and attracting leading companies such as RDM. It’s a fantastic display of commitment to industry collaboration and growth in the Asia-Pacific market.”
The pod, know as Pod Zero, will remain in the country for a year. With the support of the ADVI it will be making its way to the ADVI Capital City Forums around the nation, where the public will get a chance to experience the pod.
ADVI will also display the Pod at several conferences and exhibitions within the Asia-Pacific market over the next year to promote the future of transport, driverless vehicles and the RDM Pod Zero.