PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In a first for the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a driverless shuttle made its debut Tuesday, ferrying employees and visitors around the complex.
The autonomous nine-seat van makes four stops around the Navy Yard campus. It has no driver, although there is a human behind the wheel for safety. The one-year pilot is the result of a joint project among PIDC, Drexel University, AECOM, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and Perrone Robotics.
“We’re really focusing now on this kind of transit application,” said Nick Pilipowskyj, vice president of operations for Perrone Robotics, which built the vehicle. “We’re very excited that this is finally launching to the public.”
The electric-powered van uses GPS, cameras and laser technology known as Lidar to navigate a fixed two-mile loop. “The vehicle will take the appropriate action to stop for pedestrians, stop for cars in front of it, pace people around it, things like that,” Pilipowskyj said.
“We feel like in these, again, bounded operational areas where you’ve conducted the proper safety assessments and things like that, it’s absolutely ready for prime time.”
“It's one of the first in Pennsylvania and on the east coast,” said Kate McNamara, PIDC’s Senior Vice President at the Navy Yard. If all goes well, she said, the shuttle will venture outside the Yard.
“It’s going to be internal circulation first while we just make sure that there’s no glitches in the technology. And then we’re going to expand it so it will run up to NRG Station and connect workers with the Broad Street Line.”
McNamara said the driverless shuttle is a way to serve the growing Navy Yard community. “As we’re bringing more companies, more jobs and new residents down here, we just need more coverage to connect people back to the city and the SEPTA system,” she said.
Tiffany Clark, an employee at Axalta Coating Systems at the Navy Yard, was ready to take a ride on the shuttle’s first day. “That’s what I’m looking to see: how I feel when I get in, how fast it’s driving. You know, kind of see what safety features it has,” she told KYW Newsradio.
Tamara Williams, who also works at Axalta, said she’d feel safe in an autonomous shuttle on campus, but she may not be as eager to ride it outside of the Navy Yard. “Leaving this site would make me a little more nervous, only because Philly driving can be crazy,” she said.