University of Waterloo launches Canada’s first driverless, autonomous 5G shuttle
June 24 2021 - 8:00AM
The University of Waterloo is showcasing the operation of a
driverless, autonomous shuttle research program that will transport
students and staff around campus.
The demonstration of the shuttle, dubbed “WATonoBus” by the
research team, is the first of its kind at a Canadian academic
institution and marks a significant milestone in a multi-year
initiative to demonstrate and integrate autonomous transportation
onto the campus.
This milestone features another significant technological
advancement, as the shuttle becomes the first in the country to
operate remotely over Rogers 5G network, thanks to a Rogers
partnership agreement with the University to advance 5G research in
the Toronto-Waterloo tech-corridor. This past September, as Rogers
expanded Canada’s largest and most reliable 5G network to reach
more communities, it lit up the University’s 5G Smart Campus to
support researchers developing 5G applications and use cases in a
real-world setting.
The shuttle’s 5-stop, 2.7-kilometre journey around the Waterloo
main campus, intersecting with the campus light rail transit stop,
holds the potential to help reshape how entire communities move
around their urban spaces.
“We are thrilled not only about WATonoBus, but what it
represents,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and
vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “By marrying
transformational research, infrastructure and a network of industry
and government partnerships, we are demonstrating that educational
institutions will help shape the future – in this case, the
convergence of public transportation and smart urban mobility.”
The driverless shuttle with remote takeover capability will
showcase a full-system approach, developed entirely at the
University of Waterloo, led by Professor Amir Khajepour and a team
of over 20 researchers in the Mechatronic Vehicle Systems
Laboratory. Funding support has been provided by federal and
provincial partners, as well as contributions from Applanix,
RoboSense AI, and Rogers to make WATonoBus a reality.
The technology includes an integrated on-board sensor system
providing vehicle intelligence and control; a suite of front, rear
and side cameras providing a 360-degree view; light detection and
ranging (LIDAR) active remote sensing systems used for detecting
objects; and a WATonoBus smartphone app to help passengers navigate
the campus using the shuttle.
“Today’s demonstration represents over four years of work with
support and collaboration with government and industry partners,”
Khajepour said. “This is an exciting step forward in autonomous,
driverless public transportation.”
And, for the first time in Canada, an autonomous shuttle will be
operated entirely on a remote basis using a 5G network. The modem
on board will communicate through the Rogers 5G network with a
research lab-based control centre. In the control centre, a remote
operator will monitor the WATonoBus operations, and take over
control when needed to ensure safe movement.
“As real-world 5G use cases such as the WATonoBus begin to take
shape, we are starting to see the potential of 5G come to life,”
said Jorge Fernandes, Chief Technology Officer at Rogers
Communications. “Smart cities and smart transportation solutions
are poised to help make cities safer, more efficient and more
environmentally friendly. This example of 5G innovation
demonstrates the importance of fostering 5G research and
development to help fuel industries and drive Canada’s digital
economy forward. We are proud to help enable this important 5G
moment as part of our partnership with the University of
Waterloo.”
Since lighting up the campus with 5G last year, Rogers has added
next generation network technology and capabilities that will
enable more intelligent and complex use cases and applications,
including 5G mmWave (28GHz) small cells on campus, both inside
buildings and outdoors, providing ultra-low latency and high
bandwidth to support a variety of 5G research projects underway at
the University.
The demonstration is the latest step of a multi-year initiative
that is creating a testbed to evaluate automated driving on campus.
Future industry partnerships will add more elements of a smart city
on campus, a living testbed for advanced research, product
development and data collection.
Before commencing operation as a regular service, the driverless
shuttle system requires approval from the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation (MTO). Currently, the University of Waterloo is a
registered participant in Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot
Program, which permits testing of driverless AVs on Ontario roads
provided a safety operator is on board.
Federal and provincial funding for the WATonoBus project has
been provided through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the
Ontario Research Fund and the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council.
For more information
media@rci.rogers.com
1-844-226-1338
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