A Marco Polothe leading Brazilian bus company, announced last Wednesday (14) the presentation First autonomous minibus prototype in South America. This groundbreaking project was developed over a two-year period by Marcopolo Next, the department responsible for accelerating the company’s innovation projects, in partnership with Lume Robotics, a Brazilian autonomous mobility startup.

Prototype based on model Flying attack 8 and can carry up to 21 passengers. Autonomous technology allows the van to operate completely autonomously, without the need for intervention or remote monitoring. This technological advance represents a great achievement for the Brazilian automotive industry and places the country in a select group of countries that dominate this technology.

One of the main advantages of this autonomous minivan is its ability to operate within the ideal efficiency range, resulting in significant reductions in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. In addition, the autonomous vehicle is designed with a high level of safety and comfort for passengers in mind.

Strives to match urban development

André Vidal Armagnan, CEO of Marcopolo, notes that the company has invested in solutions to meet the needs of passengers and the challenges of modern cities. He notes that the autonomous minibus is an example of innovation in line with global mobility trends.

The development of this prototype was funded by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo. In addition, the machine is equipped with an advanced robotic system that allows it to work autonomously in certain situations, such as in closed circuits at low speed.

Ranik Guidolini, CEO of Lume Robotics, emphasizes that the first autonomous minibus in the southern hemisphere represents a technological milestone. He notes that this partnership places Brazil in a select group of countries that dominate this technology, ensuring the safety and efficiency of mobility systems.

In addition to Lume Robotics, other companies were involved in the development of the prototype. Curtis-Wright was responsible for installing the electric shift selector, while IoT startup Soha developed sensors to monitor seat occupancy and seat belt usage in real time.

Prototype testing began in December 2022 and after a successful initial phase, the first real-life evaluation was carried out in March of this year at the ArcelorMittal Tubarão steel mill, which was selected by the partner customer for testing.

João Paulo Ledur, director of strategy and digital transformation at Marcopolo, emphasizes that the research to develop the autonomous minibus strengthens the knowledge and innovation capacity of Brazilian engineering. He points out that Brazil is joining the US, Germany and China as countries exploring the possibilities of this technology.

The autonomous technology developed by Marcopolo can be applied to any of the company’s buses as long as they are equipped with an automatic transmission. In the case of the Volare Attack 8, which was selected for this research phase, all hardware and software is delivered directly to the vehicle, eliminating the need for an internet connection and enhancing the prototype’s cybersecurity.

The autonomous minibus has electric and pneumatic command modules for steering, brakes, accelerator and gear shifting. In addition, it has a data processing computer and a set of sensors such as LiDAR (light detection and range) mounted on the front and rear sides, a camera, an inertial measurement unit and GPS that allow you to observe the environment around the vehicle.

João Paulo Ledur notes that new tests and studies will be carried out so that in the future the autonomous model developed by Markopolo will become a reality on the market. With this progress, autonomous mobility is expected to take up more and more space in Brazilian public transport, benefiting both passengers and the environment.

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Source: Estadão

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