Self-Driving Buses Coming To Switzerland In 2016

With all the talk lately about self-driving vehicles, many of us can still see it only as a futuristic dream. The upcoming autonomous vehicles from companies like Tesla look amazing, but when I check my bank account, the amount of numbers I need to buy one of those cars is sadly less than adequate to buy one. Luckily, Switzerland is introducing its self-driving buses in 2016. Soon all the people of Switzerland can see what it’s like to ride in an autonomous vehicle. Well, not all the people, but anyone lucky enough to get on one of the trial buses.

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In the city of Sion, two autonomous buses, created by the startup BestMile, will start it’s two-year trial period under the Swiss bus company PostBus. The two buses will only allow 9 passengers. It sounds limited because it is limited to only the two buses in one city. It will only cover a tourist route in Sion’s Old Town. You couldn’t expect every bus in the country to be immediately replaced with autonomous buses automatically. One small problem on one bus would probably mean an immediate recall of all the buses.

BestMile, the startup company behind the buses, began last January and is fronted by two graduates from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Anne Koymans and Raphaël Gindrat. The two have been working with others at the institute to try and get the system for the autonomous buses up to par so that little to no problems will occur when the trials begin.

The trials are set to begin next Spring, and if successful, BestMile will hope to bring more autonomous vehicles for public transportation in the near future.

(Source: Independent)

Feature Photo: BestMile.com

MORE: Self-Driving Car Series — Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

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