Aggie Auto Shuttles: Technical Insights from the Public Road Demonstration

This paper explores the viability of automated shuttles for urban and suburban transportation through the Aggie Auto Shuttles pilot project conducted by researchers at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. While the long-term goal is high-driving automation operation, this study focuses on conditional driving automation with human drivers ready to take control. The design of the shuttles, including their sensor suite for navigating complex suburban environments, is detailed. This paper discusses the testing procedures conducted in a controlled environment that replicated driving conditions expected in the public road demonstration with passenger service to evaluate core functionalities like mapping, localization, object recognition, and motion planning and tracking. Then, the real-world pilot project is detailed, and the results are analyzed employing objective and subjective measures and approaches, highlighting the challenges and opportunities encountered. By examining findings from both controlled and real-world settings, a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of deploying automated shuttles as part of an integrated public transportation system is offered, contributing to the discussion on the practicality and limitations of automated shuttles with human backup in urban and suburban environments. • Development of automated shuttles for urban and underserved communities. • Real-world public road deployment of Aggie Auto Shuttles with key insights. • Evaluation and analysis of disengagements in automated driving systems. • Collaboration with agencies to enhance public adoption of AV technologies.