ZF has partnered with Oxbotica to develop an SAE Level 4 autonomous system which will initially be deployed in shuttles in major cities around the world.
The autonomous system will be integrated into various vehicles, including Mobility as a Service shuttles around the world to provide on-demand passenger and goods transportation in urban environments.
Oxbotica co-founder Paul Newman says: “Partnering with ZF in developing an on-road passenger and goods transportation solution is an important milestone in Oxbotica’s commercial autonomy strategy. Our product will bring new options to cities and transport operators around the globe who must solve the complex mobility challenges of the future.”
ZF says autonomous shuttle market will grow substantially over the next ten years with the potential to increase access to mobility, improve road safety, reduce congestion and boost productivity.
As part of the collaboration, ZF has invested in Oxbotica and will take a seat on its advisory board with a 5% share.
Torsten Gollewski, executive vice president, autonomous mobility systems at ZF, says: "The entry investment of 5% underlines our confidence in Oxbotica's capabilities. Together with Oxbotica, we are developing self-driving systems for autonomous people and cargo movers addressing the current challenges in public transport and logistics.”
The two companies started working together in 2019, with Oxbotica completing integration of its autonomous vehicle software with ZF’s ProAI, an artificial intelligence capable automotive-grade compute platform, and ZF’s full-range radar.