Over 2,000 people took a ride in an autonomous minibus

During the Artificial Intelligence Week as part of the celebration of the European City of Science Katowice 2024, a seminar on autonomous mobile systems was held at the Silesian University of Technology, led by prof. Wojciech Moczulski. During the two-hour panel, the results of research on projects related to autonomous vehicles were presented. The test stage of the BB-1 minibus, which drove around the academic campus of the Silesian University of Technology in December, was also summarized.

20 test days, 400 courses and 2,799 participants - this is a brief summary of the testing stage of the Blees autonomous minibus, which was carried out in December on the campus of the Silesian University of Technology.

- In terms of passenger research, we are waiting for the results of the work of the team led by the professor Anna Timofiejczuk from the Silesian University of Technology and Anita Pollak from the University of Silesia. Certainly, any such checking of user opinions will be helpful in the development of the vehicle and adapting it to the needs of passengers - explained Mikołaj Kwiatkowski, business development manager at Blees, who noted that all possible proposed changes and suggestions will be important in the context of creating a version of the vehicle that will be homologated. However, to confirm their validity, at least a few more similar implementations and studies are needed, so that there are as many opinions as possible. - I can confirm that the vehicle will be operating in Katowice in spring, about a month ago - added Mikołaj Kwiatkowski.

Currently, a team of psychologists from the University of Silesia is preparing the results of surveys in which both passengers and road users who observed the vehicle participated.

Let us remind you that the autonomous BB-1 minibus was created in cooperation with the Gliwice company Blees and scientists from the Silesian University of Technology. The role of our scientists under the leadership of prof. Piotr Przystałka in this project was to prepare algorithms and a remote operator station.