Beep – a U.S-based developer of multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions – has released ridership results following the successful completion of Yellowstone National Park’s first-ever autonomous shuttle program T.E.D.D.Y. (The Electric Driverless Demonstration in Yellowstone). The shuttle pilot enabled the National Park Service to test the feasibility and sustainability of autonomous mobility in a national park.
Beep delivered the rider experience through a partnership with Local Motors, which manufacturers Olli, the world’s first 3D-printed autonomous vehicle.
Olli used high-definition sensors to continually analyse the road 360-degrees around the vehicle before deciding how to safely proceed in the presence of wildlife, pedestrians and vehicles.
All shuttles were operated with an on-board attendant, and Beep further ensured passenger safety by providing continuous oversight through the Beep Command Center at its headquarters in Lake Nona, Florida.
Electric shuttles transported the equivalent of 4,000 vehicle trips in Yellowstone while traveling more than 2,100 miles
10,000 passenger utilized TEDDY shuttles during the project.
Joe Moye, Beep, CEO, says: “During the project we were able to validate, in partnership with the National Park Service, that Beep’s turnkey autonomous mobility solutions and safety-first approach delivers environmentally-friendly transportation options for thousands of national park visitors. The most striking result was the high number of riders who experienced the project – and their confidence in the technology as a means of accessing a number of destinations in the park. In this day and age, when there is still apprehension across the general public on the realities surrounding autonomous vehicle use, we demonstrated how to elevate safety, implement new technologies in real-world environments and steadily progress society toward trustworthy autonomous mobility solutions.”
Vikrant Aggarwal, Local Motors, CEO, adds: “The results of the Yellowstone project, total mileage, insights from riders and new learnings for the autonomous system are very encouraging. Projects like this give Local Motors confidence as we expand to offer longer routes in more complex settings. Partnering with Beep helps us deliver the value of autonomous vehicles and demonstrate step-wise improvements in today’s AV technology.”
By specialising in planning, deploying and managing advanced autonomous shuttles for both private and public communities, Beep safely connects people, places and services in first-mile, last-mile mobility networks.
