The bus without a driver becomes a reality and, in Reggio Emilia, it enters service on public roads, open to traffic, along a route that connects two symbolic points of the territory: the Mediopadana High Speed Station and the Max Mara Campus. A huge step forward in the experimentation of self-driving vehicles, especially in Italy.
Baptized “Olii” the shuttle is a kind of box, it carries a maximum of eight people and is obviously electric. Among the subtleties, the chassis entirely 3D printed with composite polymers and aluminum, made in this way to contain the weights: in the end, despite the batteries, this minibus stops the hand of the scale at an altitude of 20 quintals, a small record for a vehicle of this kind that then it reaches a load capacity of up to 907 kg.
Olli is part of the project called ‘Ride To Autonomy’ which has benefited from European funding and which sees the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore) the only Italian partner of the international consortium – led by the Americans Local Motors.
But now the driverless bus is on the road. And it will travel every day as part of the European week of sustainable mobility also promoted by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. The aim is to test a mobility service geared towards urban commuting over a period of approximately two months. Then, if everything goes as the researchers hope, Olli could also enter the definitive service: for Reggio Emilia it would be a source of pride.
“Innovation, research, sustainability – explains the mayor of the city Luca Vecchi – are themes with which Reggio Emilia looks to the future and are unequivocally contained and developed in this project, of significant technological and, in perspective, social and economic importance, which we are very pleased to support, within the scope of our skills, alongside Unimore and the important private partners who collaborate in this result. It is a ‘network’ work and a prestigious piece for the Emilian Motor Valley and for our city “. Now the bet is launched and we will see if Olli can pass the most difficult test. That of traffic.
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