PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania’s first driverless shuttle is being tested at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, one month after Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill in November allowing for such testing. If it’s successful, it will be part of a plan to make the Navy Yard more transit-accessible for employees, residents and visitors.
“On top of the vehicle, we’ve got three antennas,” said Nick Pilipowskyj with Perrone Robotics, the developers of the driverless shuttle.
“Two are for GPS navigation which is our primary method of navigation, which Is very much different than the rest of the autonomy companies that are currently operating in the United States. And the last one is a cellular signal that allows us to get not only corrections to our GPS, giving us one centimeter of accuracy as we drive around our various appointments, but also allowing us to have the ability to do some remote monitoring of our system, broadcasting it out for live updating on a map.”
He said that map will be able to be seen through an app or through a web browser, telling someone where the shuttle is as they wait for their ride.
Additionally, Pilipowskyj said the front of the vehicle uses Lidar and radar to help detect and avoid obstacles.
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“We don’t use any cameras for obstacle detection or avoidance. We don’t use any cameras for navigation, which is very different,” said Pilipowskyj. “It allows us to be much more nimble. It allows us to map much faster than other traditional autonomy groups.”
Engineers will conduct tests with and without drivers, and will collect data. Drexel University will analyze the data before teams make appropriate adjustments.
The Navy Yard wants to utilize the service to better connect that area and SEPTA’s Broad Street Subway NRG Station.
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“As we launch our $6 billion master plan which is going to have 8 million square feet of new space, over 12,000 new jobs, we want those jobs to be accessible to all Philadelphians,” said PIDC Senior Vice President Kate McNamara.
“To do that, the Navy Yard has to be transit accessible.”
If all go according to plan, the shuttle will first run inside the Navy Yard without a driver in a few months.
It will move on to Broad Street when testing proves it is safe.
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is funding the project through the PIDC, Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation.