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October 2016 proved a seminal month for the future of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) in the UK. As one of the LUTZ Pathfinder pods manoeuvred its way around the pavements of Milton Keynes, it marked the first ever trip made by an autonomous vehicle in a British public space.The electric-powered pods encompass great British expertise in their creation: the original vehicle design and build was carried out by Coventry firm RDM, the technology behind the autonomous control system was provided by Oxford University’s Oxford Robotics Institute, and the facilitation, safety planning and final delivery was undertaken by the TSC. There was also a significant contribution from Milton Keynes Council working on adapting regulations and the legal framework to allow the Pods to drive on the pavements.The combined project team ran a number of exercises ahead of the demonstration, including virtual mapping of Milton Keynes, public acceptance assessments, integration of the base vehicle and control systems and safety planning, and establishing the necessary regulatory environment with the support of the local council.Safety was fundamental to the trial, with the vehicle tested in Milton Keynes using data from a range of sensors on the vehicle to identify potential obstacles in its path. These measures were necessary to prove the success of the 30-month-long project and lay the foundations for continued growth of the CAV sector, says Neil Fulton, Programme Director at the TSC. The tests ran safely and, importantly, he says, “people’s reactions to the vehicles were overwhelmingly positive.” Public acceptance is critical to the future adoption of self-driving technology, and Fulton Above and rightThe LUTZ Pathfinder winds its way through the streets of Milton Keynes, representing a key milestone for the UKTHE COMPLETION OF THE LUTZ PATHFINDER SELF-DRIVING PODS PROJECT LAST AUTUMN DEMONSTRATED THAT A DRIVERLESS VEHICLE OPERATING IN A REAL-LIFE ENVIRONMENT IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE, BUT MAY NOW HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR NATIONWIDE SCALABILITY STEPPING INTO A DRIVERLESS FUTURELUTZ PATHFINDER20IMAGINE