Stagecoach to trial UK's first full-sized driverless bus

Stagecoach will trial a full-sized driverless bus for the first time later this year, following successful tests of driverless pods in Greenwich.

The bus was designed in partnership with the manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited and technology company Fusion Processing and will run on the same technology used on the driverless pods.

The bus is being built at ADL’s site in Guildford, Surrey, and is expected to be in use later this year. For now, it will only run at its depots and will not carry passengers pending the approval of the necessary laws.

Stagecoach’s UK bus engineering director, Sam Greer, said: "The bus could, in time, help improve safety and efficiency within our depots, and over the longer term, help transform bus travel in the future."

The bus will be able to park in depots on its own and drive itself to refuelling and wash points. Technology onboard will also help drivers on the road, warning them if cyclists or pedestrians move into its blind spots.

The latter technology is the CAVstar system provided by Fusion Processing Ltd which was used successfully in the UK’s largest public trial of autonomous vehicles to date, in Greenwich earlier this year. It employs several sensors – including radar, laser, camera and ultrasound – along with satellite navigation to detect and avoid objects and plan routes.

Jim Hutchinson, CEO of Fusion Processing Ltd said: "We're delighted Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis have selected our CAVstar® product, the sensor and control system that enables autonomous vehicles. CAVstar will offer increased safety and efficiency, and will be demonstrated in the Stagecoach trials later this year."