As part of the South Australian Government’s $10 million Future Mobility Lab Fund, autonomous shuttles and cargo pods will be trialled at Adelaide Airport and the Tonsley Innovation Precinct respectively.
A $2.8 million trial of driverless shuttles transferring passengers between Adelaide Airport’s terminal and long-term carpark is one of seven projects to claim a share of the fund.
Adelaide Airport will receive $1 million from the fund to trial three electric driverless shuttles operating between the long-term carpark and the terminal.
“Adelaide Airport is keen to be an early adopter in this space. This will be a flagship project that, following a full feasibility study, has the potential to substantially improve customer service to match the expectations of visitors and travellers to our modern gateway airport,” said Adelaide Airport Managing Director Mark Young in a statement.
“A small fleet of autonomous electric vehicles would replace our current diesel powered shuttle buses, servicing our long-term and staff car parks.
“Their compact size and agility will enable them to operate on a dedicated path at an increased frequency, potentially operating 24 hours a day, reducing road congestion and significantly lowering carbon emissions.”
If the Adelaide Airport trial is successful, the driverless passenger shuttles will be become a permanent part of its operations.
Trialling of autonomous cargo pods for the Tonsley Innovation Precinct and driverless shuttles for Flinders University Students are also among the projects to win funding.
Driverless car supplier RDM Group will also receive $1 million towards a $1.8 million driverless cargo pod trial, transporting goods at the Tonsley precinct, with the aim of developing a market-ready autonomous delivery pod within a year.
Other projects receiving a part of the $10 million in funding are set to be announced soon.
“As a government we have been focused on fostering the development of an autonomous technology industry in South Australia to claim a share of an industry predicted to be worth $90 billion globally by 2030,” said South Australia Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan in a statement.
“Our Australian-first driverless car trials, our Australian-first law changes to allow for on-road trials and our international Driverless Car Conference sent a message that we are the place to do business when it comes to autonomous vehicle technology.”