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Autonomous software development company Oxa has brought the driverless Ford E-Transit vans, which are already on UK and US roads, to public roads.
“It's great to see the introduction of Tesla Robotaxi and Robovan. But why wait?", said Paul Reynolds, Oxa's Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Universal Autonomy.
Oxa's autonomous driving hardware is designed to fit snugly around the exterior of Ford's popular commercial van without compromising the interior of the van. This means that fleets will be able to integrate driverless vans into existing fleets without having to re-engineer existing parking, charging and maintenance solutions.
It also means that the Oxa-equipped driverless version of the Ford E-Transit can be configured to perform the same functions as the regular Transit.
"Making the Ford E-Transit available for autonomous operations is the next step in our journey to create safe, scalable and sustainable autonomous solutions," explains Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa.
According to him, the new unmanned electric vehicle is an important milestone in the company's mission to change the future of passenger transportation and logistics.
The autonomous Oxa E-Tranist van is equipped with a full range of sensor equipment to “see the road”, including high-definition cameras, lidars and radars. Oxa hardware sends 360-degree images to the system's processors, enabling autonomous operation at electronically limited speeds of up to 89 km/h. Interestingly, the Transit's physical controls are also fully preserved, allowing for a smooth transition to human control in adverse conditions.
