
Autonomous Driving
Key Question
Can driverless on-demand shuttles encourage more people to use public transportation?
How do we test this?
We are deploying on-demand autonomous vehicles in urban fringe areas to better connect districts to existing public transportation.
Starting Point
The Hamburg district of Bergedorf offers ideal conditions for testing autonomous driving. The suburb in Hamburg’s catchment area is already very well connected to public transportation. Driverless vehicles will close gaps in the transportation network between the place of residence and the next public transportation stop.
Approach
The field test with the shuttle prototypes in Bergedorf will take place from September to November 2021. The vehicles offer space for up to twelve passengers and a VHH vehicle attendant. The latter monitors the automated journey and can intervene if necessary.
The shuttles can be booked via an app. The route of the vehicles is based on the desired starting points and destinations of the passengers and does not follow a fixed course. Passengers can ride in the shuttles free of charge during the trial operation.
The DEKRA Technology Center accompanies the approval process of the vehicles with independent expertise and ensures the safety of the passengers.

Process
Hardware Setup
Completion of Vehicle Construction
Start of autonomous shuttles
Objective
The central objective of the project is to test autonomous shuttles in local public transport and to assess their impact. In addition, it is to be investigated to what extent such autonomous shuttles influence the behavior of citizens in the use of public transport in urban peripheral areas.
The Team

Dr. Andree Hohm
Head of Autonomous Driving Program Continental

Anke Sauerländer-Biebl
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Qinrui Tang
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Eric Neidhardt
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Annika Dreßler
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Louis Touko Tcheumadjeu
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Elmar Brockfeld
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Carmen Kettwich
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

David Suske
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Alexander Sohr
Research assistant DLR-Institut für Verkehrssystemtechnik

Patrick Fischer
Verkehrsbetriebe Hamburg Holstein GmbH

Sarah Kern
EasyMile GmbH
Contact us
Would you like to learn more about the project? Write us at: emoin@vhhbus.de