Houston METRO has contracted Perrone Robotics to provide its autonomous vehicle (AV) kit for the ‘METRO Shuttle Bus of the Future’.
Perrone will outfit METRO’s Zeus 400 shuttle bus to provide an autonomous shuttle service to Texas Southern University, Houston’s Third Ward and the University of Houston.
Perrone will work on this project with STV and Transcend Engineers & Planners.
Nicholas Pilipowskyj, VP of Business Operations for Perrone said:We believe that the industry needs more vehicles that are roadworthy and road ready. Autonomous vehicles should be tested and held to the same standards as the ones we can buy off the lot. Having a vehicle that is safe and reliable, to supplement existing services, is key to having the public widely accept autonomous vehicles operating with them on public roads.
Perrone’s TONY AV Kit is modular and facilitates rapid integration into existing vehicle platforms.
This project has been enabled by the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Accelerating Innovative Mobility (AIM) grant.
Paul Perrone, founder/CEO of Perrone Robotics said:Houston METRO, an organisation known for driving transit towards innovation while maintaining the highest level of safety, is a natural partner for us. The TONY AV kit's rapid integration capability, uniquely certifiable path to safety and cyber-security, combined with a rich history of proven and comprehensive autonomy, positions us for fleet level autonomous transit operations today.
We are looking forward to this visionary deployment with Houston METRO in Texas, and to providing safe and efficient mobility for all of Houston METRO's partners and the Houston community.
