One of the UK’s autonomous technology specialists, Aurrigo, has secured more than £1 million of grants to accelerate sustainable airport and transport solutions.
Aurrigo employs over 110 people at its advanced engineering centre in Coventry, and has secured support from The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements programme and Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme, which it will use to work on four exciting new projects.
The Pathfinder programme is funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport (DfT), delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
Beginning this summer, Aurrigo’s work spans simulation, feasibility studies, and real-world vehicle trials at East Midlands Airport, in the Orkney Islands and the West Midlands. It also involves close collaboration with industry partners International Airlines Group (IAG), Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRAINS) and Urban Foresight.
“These awards reflect our commitment to building the next generation of intelligent, sustainable, and scalable transport systems that operate in both urban and airside operations,” said David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo. “From immersive VR for airside training to real-world AV deployments and rural mobility innovation, we’re proud to be working with exceptional partners across the UK to bring transformative change to both aviation and ground transport.
“This funding helps us to accelerate and, importantly, prove technologies in the real world, speeding up adoption and ensuring the UK continues to lead the world when it comes to autonomous vehicle deployment.”
The four new projects of Aurrigo’s include deploying Auto-Cargo autonomous units; developing a framework to remove the onboard safety operator for baggage handling vehicles; exploring deploying an autonomous, zero-emission huttle service between Kirkwall Harbour and Kirkwall Airport in Orkney; and intregrating VR technology into bagage handling simulations.
“We are delighted with the exciting projects selected through the CAM Pathfinder Feasibility Studies and Enhancements funding competitions,” added Mark Cracknell, Programme Director, Zenzic. “Aurrigo is a fantastic example of the calibre of company leading the way for the UK CAM sector and we’re very excited to share the news of their project successes.
“The deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility solutions has incredible potential to improve commercial and public transport, while potentially providing a huge boost to the UK economy.
“These four projects will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the commercial readiness of the technology while also providing valuable insight into future opportunities and use.”
