Automated bus coming to BNMC

The Vicinity Autonomous Lightning EV, an automated electric bus, is coming to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC), and a UB team is leading the way.

Deployment of the vehicle through a partnership between ADASTEC Corp., developer of the autonomous driving software used within the self-driving shuttle, and Vicinity Motor Corp., the company manufacturing the electric bus itself, is part of the “Buffalo All Access: In and Around BNMC” project.

The project is partially funded through a cooperative agreement with the federal Department of Transportation under the ITS4US Deployment Program. ADASTEC and Vicinity are working as a team to integrate the sensors and autonomous driving software on the bus, which is expected to arrive in Buffalo by July.

A team of UB faculty is leading deployment of the self-driving shuttle on the medical campus and overseeing the work done by ADASTEC. Faculty involved include Chunming Qiao, professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Victor Paquet, professor and chair of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; Jordana Maisel, director of research for the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDeA Center), School of Architecture and Planning; and Adel Sadek, professor, and Stephen Still, professor of practice, both in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering.

The UB team is responsible for various pieces regarding evaluation of the technology deployed in the Buffalo All Access project. Paquet and Maisel are also looking at the human factors and accessibility issues associated with autonomous vehicles.

The Vicinity Autonomous Lightning EV will demonstrate ADASTEC’s automated transportation technology in a full-sized commercial vehicle. It will also show how the vehicle performs in Buffalo’s winter conditions.

“We are very excited to be working with ADASTEC and Vicinity Motor Corp. on what we view as a truly transformative project that aims to improve mobility for all ages and abilities in our region,” Sadek says.

The automated bus will use ADASTEC’s proprietary automated software platform, flowride.ai, which integrates advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence to allow the bus to safely navigate urban environments and handle adverse weather condition, allowing for reliable transportation all year long.

“ADASTEC’s prior experience with operating self-driving automated buses in Michigan and Norway gives us confidence that their vehicle will be better equipped to handle Buffalo’s harsh wintry conditions,” Sadek adds.

The vehicle will also be designed to improve accessibility for all community members, including those with disabilities and the elderly. The bus will have on-board attendants and other state-of-the-art accessibility features to ensure an inclusive transportation experience.

“Besides working with ADASTEC on the Buffalo All Access project, we, at the University at Buffalo, are looking forward to a long-term, collaborative relationship with ADASTEC in the emerging area of public transportation automation research and development, which the university is heavily invested in,” Qiao says.