POSTBUS, THE LEADING BUS COMPANY IN SWITZERLAND’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK, HAS JUST PURCHASED TWO ARMA AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES FROM THE FRENCH MANUFACTURER
French company NAVYA, specialists in driverless technology and led by Christophe Sapet, unveiled their first autonomous production vehicle in an exclusive world preview on 30th September 2015. The following week, the vehicle travelled on the open road for the very first time during the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress (ITS) in Bordeaux.
As from today, NAVYA has begun to fulfil its ambitions with PostBus, its first customer. The Swiss public transport company has just announced the purchase of two NAVYA ARMA. These 100% autonomous, driverless and electric vehicles will be subject to two-phase testing. The vehicles will initially be tested on a private, closed site from December 2015 to spring 2016 and then, if pilot-testing is authorized, the NAVYA ARMA will be able to run on Sion’s public roads and transport passengers in autonomous mode.
ARMA shuttles will allow transport specialists to look into how they integrate into public areas and enable them to test innovative modes of transport. The aim is to offer an additional form of transport on current routes to cover the needs of all users and in particular those who live in areas not served by public transport at present.
Christophe Sapet, CEO of Navya adds « This first sale of our autonomous ARMA shuttle to PostBus is of course an important step in ARMA’s development. Bearing legislation in mind, we thought that our first customer would have been a private site, but we are thrilled that it is an urban transport specialist who has ordered these two vehicles. We are very happy to start reinventing future mobility with PostBus today ».
A few words about NAVYA ARMA
Navya Arma is a safe, reliable and comfortable 100% autonomous, driverless and electric public transport vehicle that can carry up to 15 people. Its performant steering systems make use of a multitude of technologies simultaneously (Lidars, stereovision cameras, GPS navigation devices, infra-red sensors, inertial navigation systems and odometry). Thanks to its sensors, NAVYA ARMA can position itself to within a few centimetres of its desired target and can identify all types of obstacle on the road (fixed such as posts and mobile such as pedestrians) or signage in both daylight and at night time. Technically speaking, NAVYA ARMA can reach speeds of up to 45 km/h. However, depending on the nature of the site navigated, this speed is often limited to 30 km/h. NAVYA ARMA is 100% electric and operates on inductive charging batteries. The designers of NAVYA ARMA have also concentrated their efforts on passenger comfort. The closed cab and comfortable seats protect against climatic conditions and general movement when driving. Interior and exterior communication has been specially developed to include visual and oral information messages. Interior display screens show passengers the vehicles itinerary and exterior screens inform people outside of the vehicle of its movements.
About NAVYA
NAVYA is a French company specialised in developing innovative, smart and sustainable solutions. NAVYA develops driverless, automated electric vehicles that are independent of all infrastructure. These vehicles are a smart mode of transport and are therefore for the benefit
of all citizens and society. The vehicle is equipped with a multitude of sensors and an embedded system that enables it to interact with its surroundings. It is also intended to provide efficient mobility solutions in terms of space and energy and has been built on sustainable intermodality and multimodality. NAVYA is supported by the “Robolution Capital” investment fund and presents an innovative and ambitious solution that has been developed to take up challenges laid down by today’s society. NAVYA benefits from major advances in technology in the driverless, electric vehicle sector thanks to ten years’ experience in the field and a highly qualified R&D team. Christophe Sapet, its CEO, is supported by a team of 30 people divided up between Lyon and Paris
About PostBus
PostBus is the leading bus company in Switzerland's public transport network. With over 3,700 employees (incl. the drivers of the PostBus companies) and around 2,200 vehicles at its disposal, PostBus carries round 141 million passengers each year. It has a share capital of CHF 72 million. Its trademark – the three-tone horn and the yellow Postbuses – are part of Switzerland's cultural identity. The PostBus brand embodies the values of reliability, security and trust.