UK start-up Darwin Innovation Group has recently launched a fully autonomous passenger shuttle at Harwell Campus, that is utilising integrated satellite and 5G communications for seamless operation. With the support of ESA and the UK Space Agency, the 1-year pilot phase of the project will demonstrate the performance of such vehicles in a real-world environment and investigate all related aspects, including user demand and insurance.

Visitors and staff at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, will be the first in the UK to be able to use the autonomous shuttle. The service is run by Darwin on two separate routes across campus, both of which begin at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT).  The service was launched during an event held at ECSAT at the end of November.

Staying connected

Autonomous vehicles rely on terrestrial networks to stay connected. However, this prevents them from being used in those locations where the networks are unreliable or non-existent, which includes many rural areas. By integrating satellite communications with 5G, the resulting ubiquitous connectivity offers the potential for self-driving vehicles to operate in any location.

Darwin Innovation Group’s shuttle transmits data in real time via 5G networks and satellite communications channels. Its 1-year pilot phase will demonstrate how self-driving vehicles operate in a real-world setting. Telematics data is transmitted via mobile operator O2 5G networks and a geostationary satellite operated by HISPASAT. Although the shuttle is autonomous, there will be an operator on board throughout the trial with access to safety controls.

The shuttle was built by Navya and uses LiDAR sensors, cameras and ultrasound to navigate around obstacles, plus a GNSS satellite antenna for positioning data. It also uses technology developed for Darwin’s self-driving car, also supported by ESA and the UK Space Agency. By integrating the Darwin technology stack and fleet management platform, Darwin is tracking the shuttle as it travels around Harwell Campus and gathering operational data that will help it create a minimum viable product. The aim is to increase confidence in operating autonomous shuttles on public roads and provide information to both regulatory bodies and companies involved in all aspects of future commercial services, such as insurance companies.

Greener public transport 

The trial marks a step forward in providing greener public transport in the UK, as noted by the UK’s Science Minister George Freeman, during a visit to Harwell Campus and ECSAT. The shuttle is battery powered and emits zero carbon. 

Any wider adoption of similar autonomous public transport vehicles could help the UK in its efforts to meet its emissions targets. It could also contribute to cleaner air initiatives and bids to reduce traffic noise. On the Harwell Campus, where the trial is operating a free service during weekdays, it is providing an easier way for people to access campus amenities, including leisure services, and reducing the number of cars, helping to reduce traffic accidents.

ESA is stepping up its efforts to use space to combat the climate crisis through Agenda 2025 and has launched three accelerators to unite European space actors, including “Space for a green future”.

Ubiquitous connectivity for transport

The autonomous shuttle is also of interest for ESA because hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks present opportunities to provide ubiquitous coverage, seamless connectivity, and network resilience. Transport is one of the vertical markets that ESA has identified as having the potential to benefit from this in the future. ‘Space for 5G and 6G’ is a Strategic Programme Line for ESA within the ARTES 4.0 funding programme.

Elodie Viau, ESA’s Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, said: “5G, and soon 6G, is set to transform society. For this to happen, communications networks in space have to be integrated with terrestrial ones. ESA is excited to champion the Harwell shuttle service, a project that will both showcase the reliable, instant 5G connectivity delivered by converged space and ground telecommunications networks and bring low-emissions, autonomous vehicles to the roads.” 

The autonomous shuttle has already provoked interest in running similar services elsewhere in the UK. The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership, HITRANS, for example, is interested in a trial with a view to adopting a similar service at Inverness Airport in Scotland. 

Travellers in the UK are enjoying quicker and cheaper journeys while also cutting carbon emissions thanks to a new public transport app backed by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Everybody knows that you can sometimes wait a long time for a bus and then three come along at once. Or even worse, the service is cancelled or non-existent. UK-based start-up, Tandem is making such a tedium a thing of the past with its on-demand transport app, launched in September 2020 and backed by ESA Space Solutions alongside the UK Space Agency and the Department for Transport.

In an example of how green technology is being increasingly underpinned by space-based assets, the app uses satellite data to create personalised journeys. Users enter information on their whereabouts, their preferred pick-up time, and their destination, effectively creating a customised shuttle service. Whereas traditional public transport routes despatch vehicles to a timetable, Tandem sends an appropriate vehicle to the pick-up point only when requested, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs. Tandem also covers areas where no public transport alternative exists, tailoring to towns and small cities, allowing people to get to their place of work or to visit out-of-town family or friends, all the while leveraging business partnerships with local partners to provide attractive rates to passengers.

For one person a car will be despatched, but for larger groups and on frequent routes a people-carrier or minibus can be used. Journeys can also be combined to pick up and drop off multiple passengers en route. This avoids unnecessary carbon-emitting trips which contribute to climate change. And because vehicles are only sent when required, costs can be matched to those of existing bus services, with customers paying through the app. The app also allows passengers to track their vehicle and journey time using space-based positioning.

Tandem was founded in 2019 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire and has received further backing from venture capital investors Ascension Ventures and Sustainable Ventures. The app’s pilot project was carried out with the backing of the ESA’s Business Applications Programme.

Rita Rinaldo, Head of the Partner-led and Thematic Initiatives Section at ESA Space Solutions said: “While many innovative emerging services are primarily targeting populous regions, ESA Space Solutions is pleased to support Tandem in tackling the so-called ‘transport-poverty’ affecting small towns and cities. The demonstration project showcased the ability of this solution to put many people into employment, unlock latent demand for taxi, minibus and coach companies and overall improve the quality of life of the citizens of the selected towns in an eco-friendly way.”

Tandem’s co-founder Tatseng Chiam added: "If you don’t own a car, transport outside big cities is expensive, inadequate and increasingly getting worse, preventing people from accessing employment and their social connections. Tandem's solution helps address a significant under-served commercial opportunity, as well as offering a positive impact for our passengers. It also supports our business clients who would otherwise struggle to fill many roles and positions because potential candidates literally can't get to their sites."

Tandem is already being employed by Transport for West Midlands – the body responsible for co-ordinating public transport in the region – and the University of Warwick. It is also used by private-sector employers Royal Mail, fashion outlet Primark and bookseller Waterstones to ferry around their workforces. 

The company plans to roll out the technology to other education providers such as schools, especially those in rural areas which struggle to retain pupil numbers. It is also looking to provide services to train stations from remote areas. Routes can be tailored to suit companies’ and individuals’ needs and can be launched in as little as 48 hours.

McKenzie Intelligence Services (MIS) has recently launched a Global Events Observer (GEO) for the insurance industry. GEO amalgamates highly accurate geotagged data from a range of sources to identify and track damage to property and infrastructure caused by catastrophes such as natural disasters. The technology was developed with co-funding from the ESA Business Applications Programme.

Accurate insurance assessment has traditionally meant sending a person to the site. This is expensive, and in the case of natural disasters such as flooding, hurricanes, and earthquakes, physical access to the risk location may be limited and/or hazardous. That’s why the (re)insurance industry has long been calling for better real-time damage intelligence and analysis after catastrophic events.

Responding to that need, MIS, with support from ESA, developed GEO. It combines high quality real-time data from space and ground-based sensors, including optical satellite images and radar, to provide detailed monitoring during and after catastrophic events. It also houses historical data for every global peril since 1979, providing valuable pre- and post-event comparisons. These capabilities combine with the on-the-ground insight and artificial intelligence programmes used by MIS to analyse the data.

Volker Schumacher, Business Applications Engineer at ESA said: “MIS approached us in 2018 looking for support to enhance capabilities for identifying and tracking damage to property and transport infrastructure. GEO is a prime example of what can be achieved if globally available satellite-based Earth observation information extraction is automated and harnessed.”

The GEO platform enables insurers to allocate the most-effective resources to deal with an event with multi-source intelligence. Historically done with modelling, insurers can now use real-time space data and aerial imagery to overlay crucial data and identify hotspots in a catastrophe. This allows the insurer to analyse the extent of the damage and assess the areas of most in need, ultimately resulting in a quicker tactical response in terms of reserving funds, managing claims, underwriting and operations.

An invaluable real-time resource for customers

The benefits of GEO were seen in practice during Hurricane Ida in September 2021, which was one of the strongest storms to ever hit the US mainland. MIS was able to use GEO to provide an invaluable, enhanced real-time resource for customers.

Forbes McKenzie, CEO of MIS commented: “For the insurance sector, the applications of GEO are game-changing. Once a trigger event happens, MIS sends data to the client system and they act upon it in either their exposure management, claims or other workflows, greatly speeding up these workflows and providing very accurate data from the ground. For parametric policies, which provide pre-specified payouts based upon a trigger event, the benefits are multiplied. We envision far-reaching development and increased relevance of parametric insurance in the months and years to come as a result of initiatives like GEO.

“We are really delighted to have received funding from ESA Space Solutions for the GEO and are grateful for the operational and demonstration support the experts at ESA are providing. Working closely with the team also helps us keep abreast of the latest developments in space technology, ensuring we build a service to customers that delivers value today, but remains fit for the future in this ever-evolving space.”

Helping insurers support their customers during periods of crisis

A further significant development for MIS came in September 2021 when Lloyd’s of London announced a two-year partnership with MIS. The agreement provides the Lloyd’s market with access to multi-source intelligence through the GEO platform, which will help deliver faster claims decisions and payments for customers, and supports the ambition set out in the Future at Lloyd’s Blueprint Two to build the world’s most advanced digital and technology led insurance marketplace.