Oxbotica launches self-driving platform

Autonomous technology developer Oxbotica has introduced the first fully-electric self-driving platform on UK roads.

It has launched its AppliedEV vehicle in Oxford, which operates without an on-board driver.

Following this collaboration with Ocado Group, Oxbotica will now accelerate plans to take its technology globally, enabling autonomous services based on its core technology, Oxbotic Driver. This includes passengers shuttles and industry-specific services.

Oxbotica Driver combines radar vision and laser-based sensors with AI to provide detailed understanding of surroundings while enabling continuous learning of changes to road surfaces and infrastructure.

Paul Newman, Oxbotica founder, said: “Oxbotica is changing the way people and goods move. Our goal is to be indistinguishable from perfect on safety, and this achievement alongside our partners is proof of that. It’s a historic moment for the UK, the transport and logistics sector, autonomous vehicle technology, and Oxbotica.”

The target for the first public on-road business deployment with Ocado Group, with a goods delivery variant, completing customer orders will be from 2023 onwards.

Alex Harvey, chief of advanced technology at Ocado Technology, said: “This is a fantastic milestone and we are delighted to see Oxbotica making significant progress towards zero-occupancy goods deliveries. We continue to collaborate closely with Oxbotica and are excited about providing this transformational capability to Ocado Smart Platform partners at the earliest possible opportunity.”