Researchers from the Silesian University of Technology (PŚ) and the Gliwice-based company Blees have designed an autonomous minibus. Pilot runs started a few days ago in Katowice’s Valley of 3 Ponds, and the vehicle will soon be tested in the academic town of the Silesian university.
“In addition to the test of the vehicle itself, at the same time, in cooperation with psychologists from the University of Silesia, we will also conduct research on people’s reactions to contact with the minibus, which in future will not be driven by a person sitting in the vehicle,” says Dr Anna Timofiejczuk, Professor at the Silesian University.
For Katowice and Gliwice, which are the organisers of the tests, this is a breakthrough step on the way to introducing autonomous minibuses in public transport. In the future, these types of vehicles will complement public transport, providing services in areas where this is currently impossible or inefficient. This will increase the accessibility of transport for all residents.
