FLEX – Flinders Express

Category

Connected and Automated Vehicle Award

Submitting Organisation

Flinders University

Collaborating Partners

Department for Infrastructure and Transport

South Australia iMOVE Australia

Royal Automobile Association of South Australia

Keolis Downer

SAGE Group

Navya

The Flinders Express (FLEX) shuttle was South Australia’s first autonomous vehicle (AV) trial using public roads to offer a first and last mile shuttle service to the Flinders train station within the Tonsley Innovation District. Flinders University, together with a number industry project partners and supporters have collaborated to deliver this project.

Phase 2 of the project continued to build on the lessons learnt from the initial project and developed new and innovative use cases for FLEX. These new use cases tested new operational modes for autonomous vehicles, use vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communications technologies to improve performance and finally testing a living lab that will in the future serve as a test bed for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Project partners for the Phase 2 trial include: South Australia’s Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Flinders University, Royal Automobile Association of South Australia, iMOVE with project support from Keolis Downer and tech support from SAGE Group and Navya.

The pilot is also investigating the integration of autonomous bus technology with SA’s transport network and the public response to driverless technologies.

Flinders University Head of Civil Engineering, Professor Rocco Zito, says “stage two of the FLEX trial has developed further understanding on the system requirements for automated vehicles by establishing Tonsley as an AV test bed for future trials and operations. “

“It’s important to learn how the use of automated vehicle technology can be adapted into our future planning with the integration of other technologies, so stage two of the FLEX trial can provide greater insights into developing the physical infrastructure and technology required to provide better services for the public and we’re encouraging everyone to try it out.”