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The NEC has hosted new trials into pioneering autonomous vehicle technology as the business gears up for the resumption of live events.
Project Endeavour, the UK’s first multi-city autonomous vehicle demonstration, featured a fleet of Oxbotica’s Ford Mondeos, capable of Level 4 autonomy, operating across a five-mile area around public roads in Birmingham, in varied traffic and weather conditions.
The NEC was used to securely store the Oxbotica vehicles with the team having direct access from venue office space. The activity marked one of the first indoor uses of the venue after a long closure period due to the pandemic. As such, all processes were conducted safely under NEC Venue Protect measures.
The Oxbotica vehicles operated near Lea Hall station, between Birmingham International Airport and the City Centre, providing a busy and complex urban environment. In line with current regulations, a professionally-trained safety driver and ACSO were in the vehicle throughout the event, capable of resuming control if necessary.
Linda Ritchie, NEC General Manager, said: “We are thrilled to see events returning to our venue, getting back to what we do best on a regular basis – putting on world class live events.
“It was fantastic to work with the Oxbotica team on such an important project. We know these pioneering trials into ‘driverless’ vehicles will pave the way for the future of transportation.”
It is hoped the project will accelerate the safe deployment of autonomous vehicle services across the UK, by creating a flexible, scalable model that will make the deployment process quicker, easier, and more efficient – whilst maintaining the highest safety standards.
Dr Graeme Smith, Senior Vice President at Oxbotica and Director of Project Endeavour, commented: “This stage of the mobility project was a new step for us, as Birmingham hosted our fleet of autonomous vehicles for the first time.
“The NEC offered the ideal location to base the project at. The campus road network and venue facilities lent themselves perfectly to our operations, which required maximum security and great accessibility.”
Project Endeavor comprises a consortium of six public and private companies (including Oxbotica), part-funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), being delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
It is part of the government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund, supporting the “Future of Mobility Grand Challenge”, itself a key part of the UK government’s modern Industrial Strategy.
To find out more about the project, visit www.projectendeavour.uk.