Update: The team behind the Wisconsin Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds projecthad planned to give members of the public rides on driverless shuttles around UW-Madison campus on Friday and Saturday. However, federal administrators have put that plan on hold after the type of shuttle that would have been deployed got into a minor traffic accident in Las Vegas last week.
Nov. 14, 2017—From Nov. 15–18, the University of Wisconsin–Madison's College of engineering campus will debut an autonomous shuttle.
This would mark the first-ever autonomous vehicle demonstration in Wisconsin.
In January, the U.S. Department of Transportation named the Wisconsin Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds, or WiscAV, among 10 such efforts nationwide.
WiscAV is a collaboration among industry, government and academia—led by the UW–Madison—focused on research, development and testing that aims to advance the state of the art in this revolutionary form of transportation.
While the Navya shuttle indeed is autonomous, it’s classified as a Level 4, or “mind off,” vehicle—meaning that no driver attention is required for the vehicle to operate safely.
Visitors to Engineering Mall on Nov. 18 can experience the vehicle.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with extended hours possible, depending on the to-be-determined start time for Saturday’s Badgers football game), the public will have the opportunity to take short rides in the shuttle on a first-come, first served basis, as well as talk with UW–Madison engineers about their research and the challenges and potential of autonomous vehicles.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 17, representatives of WiscAV partner organizations and of the governor’s steering committee will have the opportunity to ride in the shuttle. Members of the media also are welcome to ride on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Navya shuttle also will be parked and available for viewing on Madison’s Capitol Square on Nov. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
