Autonomous shuttle

Between February and May 2019, Applied Autonomy AS conducted a feasibility study for testing an environmentally friendly and autonomous transport to a planned visitor center (Arctic Preservation Visitor Center), based on an assignment from Arctic Memory AS. The routes included in the feasibility study consisted of a route between Longyearbyen city center, based on the Radisson hotel to the visitor center via the coastal road and the "Burma Road", from the airport to the visitor center and from the cruise dock to the visitor center.

The total distance for the entire route to be run with the transport service is 12.1 kilometers from Longyearbyen city center to the visitor center. According to Google Maps, a regular car will spend 20 minutes on the entire journey nonstop.

The demonstrator consisted of a fixed route with 4 stops.

The vehicle was to be used to map topography, GPS coverage and climatic challenges in winter on Svalbard, as well as conducting a demonstrator of a self-driving vehicle in the pedestrian zone.

Topographic analyzes of the routes were performed, GPS coverage analysis, lidar scanning of the routes, and assessment of climatic challenges.

Feasibility study to reduce emission at Longyearbyen, and to create a transport service to the airport, and a new visitor centre.

Norwegian Legislation permitting trial with autonomous vehicles.

Good, but the technology has to improve to support the long service to the visitor centre. The slope is 19 % and the technology of today does not support this steep trajectories. Customer satisfaction was very good.

No accidents occured.

Average speed was 10km/h.

186 people used the offer, which is almost 10% of Longyearbyen's residents.