COLUMBUSS Innovation BUS
COLUMBUSS Innovation BUS

CAVIDOR Rotterdam

Certification of Autonomous Transport in Public Space

Certification of robots cooperating with humans in the public domain has yet to be regulated, and the responsible authorities need knowledge and capacity to take steps in this direction. In addition, the private market for certification is small, while investment and risk (financially) are relatively high. It slows commercialisation and is a high risk for the objectives of the Automated Transport Last and First Mile (AVLM) program of the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH). In addition to certification, there needs to be more insight into the price per kilometre per person for automated driving.

MRDH finances robotTUNERs’ proposal CAVIDOR to offer more kilometres per person for the same price, which means better public transport accessibility. It involves a higher deployment frequency, offering longer or even new routes and tailor-made transport. In addition, robotTUNER wants to accelerate the certification of autonomous transportation to reduce current and future capacity problems in public transport in the Metropolitan Region. robotTUNER develops an open-source autopilot kit using the COLUMBUSS autopilot to realise these ambitions.

For responsible certification, the autopilot software and hardware must respond adequately, preferably better than the average human driver. This autopilot drives along with the driver in so-called ‘shadow driving mode’ to determine the difference between the autopilot's actions and those of the AV.

In Phase 1 (2022-2024), 4 AV field labs were built. robotTUNER automated three types of buses (micro, mini, macro) and installed a driving simulator at public transporter RET to observe and train drivers. The price per kilometre per person was researched, and the current transport situation with a professional driver was compared with a future situation in which an autopilot is used. In Phase 2 (2025), autonomous driving (SAE level 5) will be tested at an RET bus depot, and shadow driving will be conducted during service execution on the road. We will drive on a high-speed bus lane in Phase 3 (2025-2026) (SAE level 5). The budget is 6 million euros.

Bus depot RET Rotterdam
Bus depot RET Rotterdam
COLUMBUSS bus simulator
COLUMBUSS bus simulator

The main result of the CAVIDOR project is the joint effort with the Province of Groningen to develop an open-source autopilot for public transportation.

Copyright 2025 - Columbuss