South Australia’s inaugural autonomous shuttle trial

Olli Shuttle

A six-month Olli trial along the foreshore in Glenelg was launched by a joint venture between Local Motors, SAGE Automation, and the South Australian Government. The trial, taking place on a one-kilometre segment of shared path in Glenelg, provided the project with an opportunity to demonstrate advanced autonomous technology where the shuttle must interact with pedestrians, cyclists, and very soon, Segway users.

Our team was initially brought in to complete a pre-opening road safety audit for the proposed Olli route. As the project matured, we also completed the review and provision of advice for the traffic management plan and liaised with local and state government for necessary approvals. Before the launch, we also completed the commissioning stage transport safety assessment.

By combining our experience in road safety audits, traffic engineering, and expertise with autonomous vehicles, we delivered a tailored solution to Local Motors that helped ensure a successful start in the South Australian trial and allowed the community to test this emerging technology and affect future deployments.