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World’s first fleet of autonomous buses being developed in Bristol
A team of engineers in Bristol are behind the “ground-breaking” technology that will see the world’s first fleet of autonomous buses take to the roads this month.
Known as CAVForth, the project is being developed by Fusion Processing, who are based at the Future Space workspace on UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus.
The fleet of buses, operated by Stagecoach, is the first registered bus service in the UK to use full-sized autonomous buses. Operating between Fife and Edinburgh in Scotland, the journey will carry up to 10,000 passengers every week.
The project has been made possible through support from Innovate UK, privately-funded projects, and the support of Future Space and the University Enterprise Zone.
The world’s first fleet of autonomous buses have been developed by a team of engineers in Bristol – photo: Future Space
Jim Hutchinson, the founder and CEO of Fusion Processing, said: “We saw that disruption was coming for the industry so we developed a startup that would shape the future of automotive technology.
“We were the first to look in detail at the difficult problems the industry faced in taking this leap – such as getting a vehicle to recognise vulnerable road users.
“Our technology can be used on any vehicle, but there is a good commercial need for autonomous systems in the travel and freight industries.
“We’re working with professional fleets that are looking at using these systems to improve safety and customer experience while also reducing vehicle emissions.”
Fusion Processing are also working on the world’s first hydrogen-powered freight vehicle with Asda through their partner startup, HVS.
£10.4m funding has recently been announced from both government and industry to expand these projects.
Main photo: Future Space
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