Oxbotica, a global leader in autonomous vehicle software, has completed the first fully-autonomous, driverless car test on open publicly-accessible roads in Europe using a new-type electric vehicle.
The all-electric AppliedEV vehicle, driven by Oxbotica, operated in Oxford with no onboard driver, marking the next step in commercialising AV technology.
The company aims to make the first public on-road business deployment with Ocado Group, with a goods delivery variant making customer deliveries from 2023 onwards.
Oxbotica will also now accelerate the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles globally. Working with partners, such as ZF, bp and NEVS, the company will enable autonomous passenger shuttles and industry-specific platforms, all driven by Oxbotica’s core product: Oxbotica Driver.
Oxbotica Driver uses a combination of radar vision and laser-based sensors to provide the vehicle with a rich understanding of its surroundings, with multiple AI continuously checking and explaining decisions.
This process is a foundational requirement for the safe deployment of zero-occupancy autonomous vehicles and underpins the development of innovative insurance solutions for the future of transportation.
Paul Newman, Oxbotica founder & CTO, said: “Oxbotica is changing the way people and goods move. Our goal is to be indistinguishable from perfect on safety, and this achievement alongside our partners is proof of that. It’s a historic moment for the UK, the transport and logistics sector, autonomous vehicle technology, and Oxbotica.”
The company collaborated with the wider autonomous vehicle ecosystem to ensure the trial was conducted in line with the UK Code of Practice 2019, BSI PAS 1881:2020 and PAS 1883:2020.
The landmark achievement follows two years of extensive trials by Oxbotica to define its robust safety case and develop its system architecture in both off and on-road operations across the UK, Europe and North America.