Britain’s self-driving vehicle trials launch in Milton Keynes as MailOnline tests Aurrigo’s AutoPod

MailOnline was among the first to experience the AutoPod, a self-driving vehicle that can revolutionize the UK’s public transport system.   

Milton Keynes is a notorious New Town known for its concrete cows, roundabouts, and other incongruities. However, it has become a haven for tech entrepreneurs and innovative projects in recent years.

Autonomous vehicle developers set up shop in this area with an open-minded local authority and a burgeoning network of 5G networks. They also have a good deal of government grants. This is the goal: to be the first ones to break the code and make it easier for other driversless vehicles worldwide. 

Aurrigo AutoPod currently has a public phase. Regular punters can take a ride on the 4-seater battery-powered vehicle that could one day transform public transport throughout the country. 

However, after many years of research and testing, what will the AutoPod do in its first public test? How did the AutoPod perform when it came into contact with pedestrians? Will it make daily trips more efficient? 

Although we were unable to drive the vehicle autonomously on MK’s famous roundabouts during our brief journey, there were several obstacles along the way when the car came across a trio inanimate objects.

MailOnline briefly entered the future of mailonline to see how the Aurrigo AutoPod performed during an actual test. Jacob Thorburn, a reporter from MailOnline took his Aurrigo AutoPod for a quick 15-minute drive through his home town. 

MailOnline took the Aurrigo APod, a fully-electric four-seater vehicle, for a quick 15-minute drive around Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.

Aurrigo, an engineering company based in Coventry has spent eight years creating the vehicle’s software and vehicle for the AutoPod. The self-driving and battery-powered AutoPod is a vehicle that can drive itself and travels 60 miles.

AutoPod, which combines its LiDAR (the same technology that military uses to map a battlefield) and its 5G internet connection, has 360 degree cameras around its exterior. This makes it fully autonomous. It can also react in real time to its environment thanks to its LiDAR.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, people are returning to their cars in large numbers. Waze’s figures show that driving for leisure, travel, or errands has increased by 130% in comparison to pre-Covid levels.    

However, could our transportation routes be different from before the pandemic  

A British company has been busy in their efforts to make sure they do, with the Milton Keynes public trials of the fully autonomous AutoPod getting underway.

Aurrigo, an engineering company based in Coventry has spent eight years creating the vehicle’s software and vehicle for the AutoPod. This self-driving vehicle is powered by a battery and can reach speeds of up to 15 mph.

Amazon, Thales, and Vodafone are their partners. Their sales team is already doing business in Australia and Canada. 

How does this space-ship-esque AutoPod function? Why should we be able to trust it driving?

Through a combination of its 5G connection, six 360° cameras dotted around the outside of the vehicle and its LiDAR – the same technology used by the military to map out a battlefield – the AutoPod is a fully autonomous vehicle capable of reacting to its surroundings in real-time.

However, each car must currently have an operator of human safety onboard whenever it is in motion. 

At a height of 6.5ft, the AutoPod’s exterior looks like a gondola lift.

You’ll feel as if you are in London’s black taxicab back seat. The AutoPod has four seats and is spacious.

Aurrigo’s AutoPod four seater is shown in the schematics. Dimensions of the AutoPod are 7.2 x6.5 x 6.2 ft

Engineers already have a plan of the area, and they’ve programmed the route that the AutoPod will take. They also included anticipated stopping points like at a crossroads. Starting at Stadium MK’s ticket office (marked as 1, on the map), we followed a straightforward route, looping around back of the arena before stopping at Marco Pierre White. This is about parallel to where the original start point was, then turning back.

It looks great from the outside. Part of me hopes it will start hovering when I approach.

It stands at a height of approximately 6.5ft and is reminiscent of a gondola elevator found in the Swiss Alps.

The sides of the car open as if they were cabin doors. It’s not clear what I can expect from seeing a monitor, keyboard, and live feed that shows the cameras out the AutoPod. 

However, once inside you feel as if you are in London’s black taxi. It is spacious and can seat up to four. 

As the vehicle moves at a slow pace toward Stadium MK, I relax and buckle up.

Already, engineers have drawn a map and programed the route that the AutoPod will take, with anticipated stops such as at a crossroads.  

Starting at Stadium MK, we’ll follow a straightforward route. We will then loop around the back and stop at Marco Pierre White. This is about parallel to our start point. 

The operator inside the car can monitor the surrounding environment and check progress along the route. All autonomous car developers want to remove the safety operator once the UK’s legislation and insurance catch up with the technology.

The AutoPod stopped at six pence as it approached a pedestrian crossing near the Marshall Arena. I didn’t have any concerns about this.

The car is capable of responding to any moving object around it. We saw pedestrians clearly as animated dots in the map 3D during our trip.

This is a useful function, as even though we have no near-misses during my 15-minute journey, two dogswalkers stopped to harass us while we walked slowly along the footpath. Aurrigo currently does not allow for use of main roads.  

AutoPod sensors will detect anything that is in the way of an AutoPod and automatically apply the brakes. We don’t have to try this feature right away, as it isn’t very busy.

My journey has made me wonder if such a trial could be conducted on more narrow streets or even a chaotic footpath in London’s central business district during rush hour. 

An additional problem appears when I am told that it takes punters everyday from Asda (about 500m from the stadium) to the top of the hill where they can see larger retailers.

This is because a huge HGV was parked almost halfway between both routes in the parking lot for many days. The AutoPod’s current live map feature cannot navigate around this obstacle. 

This is a minor problem for me, but it could be a major hindrance for others who can’t drive or walk. 

This makes me wonder about how this will translate into modern-day driving. Hazards can suddenly appear on any road. But engineers, according to my understanding, could easily create new maps if roads or areas are re-developed. 

As the car turns around towards Marco Pierre White’s restaurant, another pedestrian looks at it. The operator said that this happens quite often. 

Can you see four of them drunk while out on a night seeing one? He warns that they could cause serious harm to the environment.

“We must get the public onboard with self-driving cars. This is another reason this trial is important. 

Milton Keynes residents already know a lot about self-driving cars and have a lot of experience.

It is now a common sight to see the Starship Robots on six wheels, trundling down town’s pedestrian streets. They are known as “redways” because they have a distinctive colour.

Residents say that the fleet of white, tiny robots which delivers food and shopping to their estates has surpassed 200.

2022 appears to be a particularly pertinent time for manufacturers to get into autonomous vehicle industry, as the global market for driverless cars is expected to reach more than £407billion by the end of 2026.  

Users will soon be able load the Aurrigo App, then hail an autonomous vehicle and continue their journey. Already, the company has an electric shuttle for 10 people that is ready to go on roads.

Milton Keynes’ residents have extensive experience in understanding self-driving vehicle benefits. A fleet of more than 200 six-wheeled Starship Robots are often seen trundling along the town’s winding footpaths

Starship Robots loaded with shopping, before taking it to someone’s house. They saw an increase in popularity during the Covid pandemic. [File picture]

Now, let’s return to my trip around Stadium MK. What is the reason for this? The reason? Two innocuous bollards, which are just yards away from us, seem inconspicuous. 

A potential problem that might turn off the public from autonomous driving is my own.

He explains to the operator that his pod can move past them. He decides not to wait and wait, but instead he takes over the manual control of the pod and turns off all LiDAR sensors.

He’s using an Xbox 360 controller to control his pod, which surprised me. Instead, he is holding an Xbox 360 controller. He explains that it serves as a cheap ‘deadman’s switch’ for emergencies. 

The vehicle’s physical safety operator will eventually be taken out of service and replaced by a general overview provided from a control center.  

Current Government legislation, the insurance requirements, and public confidence prevent that.

Miles Garner is Aurrigo’s marketing director. He explains that the Milton Keynes trials continue to test the technology, and his company hopes to have the safety operator taken out of the car.

He explains that it is not a good idea to have a self-driving car if there are people in front of the vehicle.

“But, we must have a safety officer for several reasons. As an autonomous vehicle, you are required to have a safety officer onboard. 

“And insurance also. Axa has been a partner for many years. However, it can be quite difficult to obtain insurance on autonomous vehicles.

It is planned to make Stadium MK the ideal petri dish, with its 30,000-seat arena, temporary vaccine center, shopping court and huge Asda Supermarket, before moving on into densely populated parts of town.

Each vehicle currently must have an operator for human safety (pictured). The operator can operate the AutoPod via an Xbox 360 controller, serving as a “dead man’s switch” in emergency situations.

While the Xbox 360 controller may have been first introduced in 2005 by Aurrigo, Aurrigo maintains that it’s a highly cost-effective failuresafe to use for public trials. Pictured is the safety operator showing how the Xbox 360 Controller can be used

Aurrigo will have to overcome the most significant hurdles that the public and other companies involved in autonomous vehicles may face.

We have all heard horror stories of fatal accidents and driversless cars in the United States over the past few years. 

Elaine Herzberg, 49,  became the first recorded case of a pedestrian dying after being hit by a self-driving Uber SUV in Tempe, Arizona in 2018. 

The last minutes of Herzberg’s existence were captured by Dashcam footage as she crossed the four-lane highway in pitch black conditions with her bike. Herzberg was suddenly illuminated by the Uber’s lights in front. 

On Tuesday, prosecutors in California filed two counts of vehicular manslaughter against 27-year-old limousine driver Kevin George Aziz Riad, who is accused of being behind the wheel of a Tesla driving on autopilot that ran a red light and slammed into a car, killing two people in 2019. Riad pleaded guilty not to the charges. 

According to Business Insider, crashes are still rare. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of America is currently investigating 36 incidents involving self-driving cars between June 2016-2021. 

However, there are still questions about liability and insurance requirements when a crash involves a driverless car.

Miles addresses these concerns.  

“The AutoPod’ is designed for off-road use [footpath]Use low speed, in controlled environments, so that you’re safer than driving on the road right now’.

“This is part the trial that builds confidence in the public. 

“We want people feel at ease taking the AutoPod for a ride, and are also researching how pedestrians can interact with self driving vehicles. It is both a one-way street. 

Aurrigo’s AutoPod trials form part of MK:5G, a £4m project that serves as a testbed for innovative trials using the town’s existing 5G infrastructure and overseen by Milton Keynes Council. 

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has already given the green light for such ambitious plans to go ahead – having awarded £2.3million for projects that test out advanced mobility pilots that use automation in Milton Keynes.  

It is planned to make Stadium MK the central hub of activity before expanding into densely populated parts. 

Milton Keynes is often referred to as “soulless” New Town, with its reputation for concrete cows and roundabouts (left), but it has been a haven for tech entrepreneurs and innovative projects. Bletchley Park, home of codebreakers who helped to turn the tide in World War II (right), is also located here.

Milton Keynes is home to other driverless taxi programs. Imperium Drive launched an identical trial with its Fetch program. A remote driver controls the vehicle remotely from Estonian call centres (pictured above).

Horror stories about driverless cars and car crashes continue to be reported from the United States.  

We have all heard horror stories of fatal accidents and driversless cars in the United States over the past few years. 

Elaine Herzberg, 49,  became the first recorded case of a pedestrian dying after being hit by a self-driving Uber SUV in Tempe, Arizona in 2018. 

The last minutes of Herzberg’s existence were captured by Dashcam footage as she crossed the four-lane highway in pitch black conditions with her bike. The Uber’s headlights suddenly illuminated Herzberg as she was standing in front of it. 

Elaine Herzberg, 49 years old (pictured), became the first case in which a pedestrian was killed after it was hit by a self driving Uber SUV. It happened in Tempe, Arizona.

California is investigating the misuse of Tesla’s Autopilot function after two deaths in 2019.

On Tuesday, prosecutors in California filed two counts of vehicular manslaughter against 27-year-old limousine driver Kevin George Aziz Riad, who is accused of being behind the wheel of a Tesla driving on autopilot that ran a red light and slammed into a car, killing two people in 2019. Riad pleaded guilty not to the charges. 

According to Business Insider, crashes are still rare. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of America is currently investigating 36 incidents involving self-driving cars between June 2016 and 2021. 

According to Gov.uk statistics, ‘human error’ is responsible for more than 85% of accidents that occur on Britain’s roads.

Speaking on the MK:5G experiment, Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez told MailOnline: ‘This pioneering £2 million trial will see how 5G-powered tech can improve stadium experiences.

“Driverless shuttles” will be used to transport people and cargo around the site. Robots will assist hotel guests with luggage, deliver rooms, and provide security.

‘The scheme is all part of our £200 million programme across the UK to demonstrate and test how we can seize the opportunities of 5G to turbocharge our economy and help businesses bounce back from the pandemic.’

Miles says Milton Keynes has been an appealing destination for companies like Aurrigo.

Its grid road infrastructure was designed by the 1970s city architects and incorporates footpaths and urban theory from California.

He says that “The council are always so open to innovations and as a business that makes the area attractive destination”, he continues. 

This is the view of Pete Marland from Milton Keynes Council, who was in charge since May of the local coalition authority. 

Mr Marland refers to Milton Keynes’ history of innovation, home to Bletchley Park codebreakers and to the fact that automotive giants Mercedes, Volkswagen and Red Bull Racing established their headquarters here.

“Milton Keynes, the home of different thinking,” these self-driving experiments prove. He said that it was all helping to determine what kind of city we would like to create in the future, and this is a good thing for the UK.

“The AutoPods continue a tradition of innovation in transport seen throughout the Milton Keynes region. The canals were there, Wolverton’s was the first town to have a railway, and Bletchley park, of course. In the 60s and 70s we were built upon the automobile and will do so again in the future.

Mister Marland also pointed out that it’s not always 100% safe to get behind the wheel. He is encouraging the public, before judging them on the self-driving vehicles. 

“Humans driving cars in unsafe conditions” It has been shown that AI is safer than humans driving semi- and fully autonomous cars like these. People will only catch up to this technology.

“Features such a lane change assistance and auto park are already part of many modern cars, so this is the next logical step.” 

Statisticians shared their data on Gov.uk indicate that “human error” is the cause of more than 85% of road accidents in Britain. 

Brian Matthews (the Council’s transport officer) anticipates expanding the trial to other locations in the town by the end, including the busy railway station, and shopping centre. 

“It is vital that technology be used to support the citizens’ quality of life and sustainable growth. Milton Keynes has a culture that views innovation as an opportunity to move forward, and pushes the limits.

“Exploring driverless technology is something that we would like to do, because it has huge potential benefits. Before we fully invest in them, we must understand those. 

“Are they safer?” They increase productivity? Can they reduce congestion? Is it possible to increase mobility for residents who cannot drive? We are looking at all these important aspects. 

Brian, I would love to hear your thoughts about how you see autonomous vehicles in the future. This is both for Milton Keynes but also further afield. 

He states that while autonomous vehicles won’t be the only future for us, “I believe it will play an important role in our future.”

“I think that we know it isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. It will be mixed, and self driving vehicles will be part of that mixture,” said ‘I think’.

Some others have a more positive outlook. Miles believes we are seeing the beginning of an exciting future for transportation as a whole. 

“Everyone is working on autonomous cars. These vehicles are the future and will soon be on roads. It’s clear that there is no question about it. 

After my AutoPod morning ends, I have many questions. What will it take to make driverless cars work on roads in the UK that weren’t designed specifically for drivers? How will the public react to such a major change?

But most importantly, did my walk to the stadium take me longer than walking? Google searches suggest that it is not. Their Maps tool predicts that I would have taken 10 minutes to walk the distance.  

It is clear that the slow start represents a tentative step towards a more feasible public transportation system in Milton Keynes as well as further afield. 

My 15 minute journey with the AutoPod driver-less AutoPod was short, but only time will show if it was a long and difficult drive.