Pair seeking to create ‘Mobility-as-a-Service’ for urban logistics

Ben Wodecki, Jr. Editor

October 11, 2021

2 Min Read

German car part maker ZF has invested in British autonomous vehicle startup Oxbotica.

The pair are planning to develop a Level 4 self-driving system that can be integrated into a range of vehicles to offer Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), for both passenger and goods transportation in urban environments.

The system made via the strategic partnership will “initially be deployed in passenger shuttles in major cities around the world,” the pair said.

“The two companies share a joint vision for the future of mobility and the transformational potential that autonomous technology can have across multiple industries where people and goods move,” the statement reads.

‘Important milestone’

Oxbotica was founded in 2014 by Ingmar Posner and Paul Newman. Based in Oxford, the startup has been working to develop sensors and software for autonomous vehicles.

In April, British online grocery giant Ocado invested $13.7m (£10m) in Oxbotica, with a view of integrating the sensors into several of its vehicles.

In June, the startup penned a code of practice for safe autonomous vehicle deployments in off-road environments, written in collaboration with the Transport Research Laboratory.

In terms of logistics, Oxbotica is already working with Applied EV to build a fully autonomous electric vehicle for industrial logistics and commercial goods deliveries.

Oxbotica has been collaborating with ZF since 2019 – the latter integrated the autonomous vehicle software into ZF’s ProAI compute platform and its Full-Range Radar.

Ahead of its ZF shuttle deployments, the pair will continue to develop the technology and work on validation and verification of the integrated self-driving vehicle system.

“Partnering with ZF in developing an on-road passenger and goods transportation solution is an important milestone in Oxbotica’s commercial autonomy strategy,” said Paul Newman, founder and CTO at Oxbotica.

“Our product will bring new options to cities and transport operators around the globe who must solve the complex mobility challenges of the future. The way people and goods move is changing.”

About the Author(s)

Ben Wodecki

Jr. Editor

Ben Wodecki is the Jr. Editor of AI Business, covering a wide range of AI content. Ben joined the team in March 2021 as assistant editor and was promoted to Jr. Editor. He has written for The New Statesman, Intellectual Property Magazine, and The Telegraph India, among others. He holds an MSc in Digital Journalism from Middlesex University.

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