The main goal of this state-of-the-art project which was to demonstrate that Automated Minibuses (AMs) represent tomorrow’s solution for Public Transit (PT) is totally fulfilled. Indeed, our teams have concluded that, if integrated as an On demand / Door-to-door service within a PT system, AMs have the potential to become a game changer for urban mobility.
The AVENUE project succeeded in achieving all of its 6 main objectives, but has gone much further:
ACHIEVEMENT 1 (Flagship innovation) - First large scale Door-to-door/On demand AM deployments
The AVENUE teams deployed an operational Automated Minibus Door-to-door/On demand service in a world first on unrestricted public roads and at such a large scale.
ACHIEVEMENT 2 (Flagship innovation) - Heavy traffic / complex routes operation
The AVENUE teams deployed an Automated Minibus service on complex routes with heavy traffic public roads in a world first. This includes itineraries with roundabouts, traffic lights, pedestrians, bicycles and heavy car traffic.
More information can be found in the demonstration reports (public deliverables) of our various demonstration and replication sites and on the demonstration presentation pages of this Website.
ACHIEVEMENT 3 - Development of a scalable model
The AVENUE project teams focused on the development of a model that can be replicated on a very large scale.
The model description and comments about the replication process can be found in the public deliverable D7.13.
ACHIEVEMENT 4 - Financial viability confirmation
The AVENUE teams have been able to verify the Automated Minibus model economic viability.
More information can be found in the deliverables D8.3, D8.4 and D8.6 and the economic impact summary section of this Website.
ACHIEVEMENT 5 - Positive environmental and social impact confirmation
The AVENUE teams were able to verify the Automated Minibus model positive social and environmental impact.
More information can be found in the deliverables D8.1, D8.2 and D8.5 and the environmental impact section of this Website.
-Fulfill Objective 5–
ACHIEVEMENT 6 - Client-oriented environment development
Development of a client-oriented / user-centric environment: Mobility as a Service (MaaS) integration, ergonomic mobile phone reservation app taking into account the needs of everyone.
– Fulfill Objective 3 and 4–
ACHIEVEMENT 7 - Legislation evolution contribution
The AVENUE project contributed to the evolution of the autonomous driving legislation of various European states with the most important advances in Germany and Switzerland.
ACHIEVEMENT 8 - Public transit integration
For the first time, the AVENUE teams have integrated an Automated Minibus service into the pre-existing public transport network, giving an insight into the benefits of a Mobiliy as a Service (MaaS) ecosystem.
-Fulfill Objective 1–
ACHIEVEMENT 9 - Long term reliability and safety tests
The AVENUE project’s teams have been able to verify the technological reliability of Automated Minibus services on a daily basis over more than 4 years on the multiple AVENUE demonstrator sites (wide range of conditions).
Our teams were able to verify the very high level of safety of the vehicles throughout these extensive tests.
-Fulfill Objective 2–
ACHIEVEMENT 10 - Participated to the improvement of the AM technology
The extensive tests across all the AVENUE demonstration and replication sites and associated data and feedbacks also helped Navya©, the Automous Minibus manufacturer, to further refine the functioning of the Automated Minibus technology (braking algorithm or obstacle detection improvements for example).
ACHIEVEMENT 11 - Verified the AM public acceptance
Our teams were able to confirm the very positive attitude of the public towards Automated Minibuses as well as the high willingness to use this technology via large-scale surveys.
More information can be found in the deliverables D8.7, D8.8 and D8.9 and the social impact summary section of this Website.
-Fulfill Objective 5–
ACHIEVEMENT 12 - Participated to the AM visibility
Thanks to the AVENUE teams’ multiple communication efforts on multiple platforms, millions of people were informed not only about the AVENUE project but also about the existence of the Automated Minibus technology and of the On demand/Door-to-door services.
More information can be found in the dissemination activities reports (D10.4, D10.5 and D10.6) and in the communication activities summary section of this Website.
ACHIEVEMENT 13 - Helped people with reduced mobility (PRM)
The consideration of the needs of people with reduced mobility (PRMs) has been at the center of the AVENUE project teams’ attention, which has strived to create the most inclusive environment possible.
Our surveys also confirmed that Automated Minibuses (AMs) were seen as a viable solution to their problems by PRMs.
The AVENUE project’s AMs have enabled many PRMs to move around freely, particularly at the Belle-idée site in Switzerland and at the Slagelse hospital in Denmark.
More information can be found in the deliverables D8.7, D8.8 and D8.9 and the social impact summary section of this Website.
