Via demonstrates autonomous vehicle ride-sharing at CES 2019

For the first time, Via is showcasing smart solutions for autonomous vehicle (AV) ride-sharing at CES 2019, alongside Aurrigo, Comet Mobility and an artificial intelligence technology provider for AV demonstrations.

This is the first time Via’s AV technology and Aurrigo’s PodZero will be demonstrated together.

“We are delighted to showcase Via’s dynamic AV technology at CES with Aurrigo and Comet Mobility,” said Oren Shoval, co-Founder and CTO of Via. “If autonomous vehicles are to reach their full potential for providing low-cost, efficient rides, they need to be shared by multiple passengers. Via’s systems are able to power, in real time, the movement of millions of connected autonomous shuttles and their passengers.”

Via has provided more than 45 million dynamically-routed rides worldwide, and has applied this experience in shared mobility to AVs. CES attendees can experience the AV technology by booking a PodZero ride using the Via app. The autonomous vehicles will be seamlessly booked and routed on demand, and customers will be provided with a vehicle location and ETA. Advanced augmented reality (AR) functionality enables easy identification.

During the journey, visitors will be routed around a 1,500-ft ‘cityscape’ track to New York, the UK or Las Vegas in the South Platinum Parking Lot, while interacting with voice-activated technology. In addition to rider-focused AV technology, Via will also demonstrate its AV driver technology, including key functionalities that select the fastest routes for each shuttle using real-time traffic data from multiple sources, direct shuttles to optimal pick-up locations to avoid detours, and accurately predict how demand patterns will unfold – positioning shuttles to anticipate that demand.

“Deploying an efficient fleet of AVs for shared rides is no easy feat and requires products that reach far beyond simply the ability to drive autonomously. Via’s technology has to replace all of the functions of the traditional driver – from helping riders board, to ensuring they have the right vehicle, to solving real-time issues in the vehicle, and acting as ‘eyes and ears’ on the road by reporting important changes like street closures,” said Shoval.