This wild-looking vehicle is a self-driving bus, currently testing in Europe

Transport technology developer Aurrigo is testing a self-driving bus in Europe, which aims to replace the conventional public transport system in Europe in the near future. The company has stated that it plans to remove the human operator from public transport vehicles in future with this technology. Christened as Aurrigo Auto-Shuttle, the autonomous bus is now being tested in various cities of the Czech Republic and the UK.

The Aurrigo Auto-Shuttle doesn't look like a conventional bus. It looks sculpted and aggressive from all angles. In a nutshell, these autonomous vehicles look like driverless pods. The Auto-Shuttle self-driving buses rely on LiDAR technology, as well as cameras and Aurrigo’s in-house developed software to get a clear, consistent picture of the surroundings. The company also said that it is working with a robust safety framework in order to roll out its technology responsibly.

The company claims that initially, these e Auto-Shuttles will have a human operator inside the vehicle to take over in case an error occurs. However, Aurrigo also plans to remove the human operators and replace them with a remote supervisor. The remote supervisor will not be on the bus physically but can still take over the controls of the autonomous vehicle in case things go wrong.

Aurrigo claims that at a time when cities facing challenges like high levels of vehicular emissions along with increasing requirements for the safety and mobility of cyclists and pedestrians, these driverless shuttles or pods can be game changers for the urban environment as they address many of the challenges.

The company is working with the Living Lab for Autonomous Electric Vehicles, which is led by the University College of London and funded by the European Union.