Objective:
Demonstrate autonomous pod technology across four trials- two at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Develop a framework for safety and security testing of connected and autonomous vehicles
Determine a viable business base for a service that meets user needs and delivers value for money

SHIFT Pillar: Movement of people in cities

Partners:
Capri was a consortium project with 16 partner organisations led by AECOM.

Project description:
The first UK project to trial pods on public roads, Capri is an exciting new research project that is building passenger, regulatory and market confidence in autonomous pods as a practical, safe and affordable way to travel. With a specific focus on looking at how autonomous pods could support the Park visitor experience by providing a mobility service to venues, LLDC hosted two Capri trials at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in September 2019 and March 2020.

September 2019- north of the Park on the pedestrian and cycle paths:
This phase of the trail sought to demonstrate and assess the connected and autonomous vehicle technology for an on-demand inclusive public mobility service in a pedestrian area. Over the two-week period, hundreds of people were engaged in the trial experiencing a journey on the pod. Two school sessions were also held during which students discovered more about the pods and provided feedback on potential use cases.

March 2020- ‘dual mode’ pod, north of the Park including private Northwall Road:
The next phase of the project built on the September trial by introducing the ‘dual mode’ pod, testing advancements in the technology such as the fleet management system, interfacing with traffic lights (GLOSA) and ride hailing app.

Outcomes
The trials showed there is an appetite from the public for these new technologies but there is also a desire to understand how vehicles will respond if something goes wrong. The real challenges for the deployment of pods continue to relate to the technical and legislative side