Robotic Shuttle Van Drives Itself Around Newark Airport (VIDEOS)

NEWARK, NJ — At first glance, it almost reads like the setup to a joke: “Let’s put a robot in charge of driving a shuttle bus around Newark Airport.” But according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the experiment that’s been taking place at the airport for the past month is no laughing matter – in fact, it could be a glimpse into the future of the travel industry.

On Thursday, the Port Authority held a demonstration of its latest technological advancement: a driverless shuttle van.

The month-long experiment is being conducted in partnership with STV and Perrone Robotics. Here’s what to know about it, the Port Authority says:

“In this pilot [project], a 14-passenger Green Power AV-Star shuttle was retrofitted with autonomous driving technology from Perrone Robotics, including sensors, cameras and mapping functionalities. It was first tested on a safety course that included simulated car and pedestrian obstacles within a closed parking lot at the airport. It then moved to nighttime testing on airport roads between the airport’s P2 Air Train/parking facility and the new Terminal A, where it navigated arrival roadways, complex merges and multiple traffic lights. The shuttle was also tested in mixed traffic during daytime hours.”

According to the Port Authority, it marked the first time an autonomous vehicle took to a public road in the state of New Jersey.

The Port Authority noted that the shuttle didn’t pick up passengers, had a safety driver on board as a backup, and always traveled at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour.

Prior to the new robo-van’s inaugural voyage, the Port Authority made sure that a mandatory safety plan involving all stakeholders was in place.

The pilot project was organized in conjunction with the New Jersey governor’s office, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, with additional involvement from NJ Transit, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and local municipalities including Newark and Jersey City.

“For more than a hundred years, the Port Authority has been defined by technological and engineering breakthroughs – and now we’re putting the computerized pedal to the metal,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said.

“Being the first to bring driverless vehicles to New Jersey roads is the latest example of the Port Authority pushing the envelope when it comes to keeping the region moving,” Port Authority Chair Kevin O’Toole said.

“The goal is always a streamlined, modern and more convenient journey,” O’Toole added. “If new technology can help get us there, we’re willing to explore it.”

The Newark pilot is the latest iteration of other autonomous vehicle tests at the agency’s airports, two of which had focused on the safe use of autonomous platooned vehicles on closed roads at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2022 and earlier this year.

The Port Authority also has tested autonomous technology on platooned commuter buses last summer to travel faster through the Lincoln Tunnel’s exclusive bus lane, with the goal of “leveraging emerging technology to improve speed, efficiency and reliability.”

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