Members of the House of Lords Science and Technology committee in the UK have witnessed the final testing of the first GATEway driverless shuttle vehicle in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Conducted at InterContinental London, The O2 in Greenwich, the testing was carried out prior to public trials in 2017.

The GATEway trial aims to demonstrate the use of automated vehicles to seamlessly connect residential locations, commercial areas and transport hubs.

The committee also examined the uses and benefits of the autonomous vehicles and the transition path needed for the co-existence of autonomous and regular road vehicles.

House of Lords Science and Technology Committee chairman Lord Selborne said: “Over the course of our inquiry we have heard compelling evidence on how autonomous vehicles can benefit society and the economy.

“However, if we are to realistically see these cars on UK roads in the near future, research and investment is vital.

"Projects such as GATEway ensure the roads are ready for driverless vehicles."

“Projects such as GATEway ensure the roads are ready for driverless vehicles, as well as the efficient integration of sophisticated automated transport systems into complex real-world environments.”

The committee members also had the opportunity to see and test out the new technology for themselves and experienced TRL’s portable driving simulator, MiniDigiSim.

They also experienced a ride in Geni, a development vehicle from GATEway partner Oxbotica that navigates using its autonomous operating system, Selenium.

Image: Members of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee visited the GATEway Project. Photo: courtesy of GATEway Project.