Robotic Research Announced as Finalist for AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards

CLARKSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Robotic Research, LLC (rr.ai), a global leader in autonomous technology, announced today it was named by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) as a finalist for an XCELLENCE Award in the category of Innovation.

AUVSI selected Robotic Research for its Pegasus Mini, a lightweight, compact unmanned system that can fold out of a backpack and transform from a tracked ground robot to quadcopter-type drone, and then back again.

“Pegasus Mini, as well as our whole Pegasus family of systems, was designed with the user in mind, as a way to overcome the challenges faced by legacy systems,” said Alberto Lacaze, co-founder and president of Robotic Research. “So, it’s very gratifying to be nominated as a finalist for an AUVSI XCELLENCE Award.”

AUVSI represents the unmanned industry. The XCELLENCE Awards are, therefore, the industry honoring peers—individuals and organizations—that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing autonomy, leading and promoting safe adoption of unmanned systems, and developing programs that use these technologies to save lives and improve society.

“During the last year, the unmanned systems industry rose to meet urgent new challenges posed by the pandemic. It is inspiring to see organizations and companies that led this charge among the XCELLENCE Awards finalists,” said Brian Wynne, President and CEO of AUVSI. “As unmanned systems become increasingly integrated within our society, AUVSI is pleased to recognize this distinguished group for their innovative work that will accelerate our industry forward toward assured autonomy.”

Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the AUVSI XPONENTIAL trade show, held on August 16-19, at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), in Atlanta, Georgia.

About Robotic Research

Robotic Research is a U.S.-based global leader in localization, autonomy, and robotic technology transforming the way we move. Founded in 2002, the company has been a trusted technology partner to the public and private sector for nearly twenty years. From people to platforms, at home or overseas, Robotic Research is driven to make the way you move smarter, safer, and more efficient.

To learn more about Robotic Research, visit www.rr.ai, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About AUVSI

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)—the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics—represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets. For more information, visit AUVSI.org.

About XPONENTIAL

AUVSI XPONENTIAL is the largest, most significant event for the unmanned systems industry. The 2021 exhibit hall will showcase hundreds of cutting-edge companies from around the world and the conference will feature educational programming by unmanned systems experts, providing information about the future of policy, technology and business solutions and trending topics.

Contacts

Taylor Smith
press@rr.ai

Robotic Research Autonomy Powers North America’s First Automated Heavy-Duty Transit Bus 

CLARKSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Robotic Research, LLC (rr.ai), a global leader in autonomous driving technology and solutions, and New Flyer of America Inc. (“New Flyer”), a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, announced today the successful development of the Xcelsior AV™ – North America’s first fully operational automated heavy-duty transit bus.

“Welcome to the future of mass transit,” said, Alberto Lacaze, president of Robotic Research. “Automated transit buses, like the Xcelsior AV, are not just safer and greener, but more efficient. By optimizing rider capacity, improving traffic flow, and reducing stop-and-go accordion delays, these vehicles have the potential to not only increase the efficiency of travel for those on board, but for all vehicles on the road. Our partnership with New Flyer has resulted in a new mode of transit that brings together the latest technologies, ultimately helping to enable a safer, cleaner, more efficient, and more accessible transportation solution for the public.”

With the addition of Robotic Research’s autonomous AutoDrive® technology, the Xcelsior AV™ can visualize its environment, allowing it to avoid collisions with vehicles, pedestrians, and other hazards. Its automated precision docking capabilities precisely maneuver the bus within inches of the level boarding platforms, providing easy access to passengers with disabilities in accordance with ADA rules. Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications can also enable “platooning,” where multiple buses are linked and dispatched together to accommodate more passengers at peak transit times. Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications also provide links to traffic lights and crosswalk signals to smooth traffic flow.

“Our Xcelsior AV represents the anticipated future of safety in public transit and the latest leap forward for New Flyer. The technology is real and it’s here,” said Chris Stoddart, President, New Flyer and MCI. “In the future, we expect fleets of automated buses to improve road safety and with the potential to shorten commute times, increase energy efficiency, and reduce congestion. As standards and regulations are developed and implemented and automated buses are deployed across North America, we expect our Xcelsior AV to enable meaningful improvements in the public transit user experience, which will hopefully lead to increased ridership. Together with Robotic Research, we are leading clean, accessible, reliable mobility that’s safer for all.”

The new Xcelsior AV™ bus is equipped with Robotic Research’s AutoDrive® automated driving system, the eyes and brain of the AV bus, and AutoDrive ByWire® drive-by-wire system, which enables automated throttle, brake, and steering. The AutoDrive® technology is already operating in first-mile/last-mile transit applications across four continents on both mixed traffic, public roadways and corporate and academic campuses.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has already announced that it will deploy New Flyer’s Xcelsior AV™ buses to serve on its CTfastrak bus rapid transit (BRT) route between New Britain and Hartford, anticipated to commence early 2023¹. The CTDOT project is funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of its Integrated Mobility Innovation (“IMI”) initiative. It also is the first scheduled public automated bus application and will operate within the dedicated CTfastrak BRT guideway.

“We have amassed quite a team for this project,” said Dennis Solensky, Transit Administrator, CTDOT. “CTfastrak is a one-of-a-kind asset to test new technology on, and we are thrilled to put it to its best use and roll out the first automated full-sized buses in North America!”

For more information, read our white paper, Automated Bus Rapid Transit: A Mode of High Quality, High-Capacity Transit Corridors.

About Robotic Research

Robotic Research, LLC, is an award-winning, leading provider of autonomy and robotic technology driving the transformation of commercial and government autonomous operations through innovative and intelligent systems. Whether providing autonomous vehicles to the military to keep the warfighter safe; delivering unmanned, transformable robots to extend the reach of Special Forces units; or making commercial transportation safer and more efficient, Robotic Research is leading this dynamic revolution in technology.

To learn more about Robotic Research, visit www.rr.ai, and on Twitter and LinkedIn.

¹ APTA

Contacts

Taylor Smith
press@rr.ai