NCDOT, National Park Service launch autonomous shuttle

The National Park Service and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) have launched the first autonomous vehicle to be tested at a recreational public lands site. 

The Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation, or CASSI, was launched at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills – the site of the world’s first powered flight. 

“This is a huge day for transportation,” said North Carolina Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette during the launch at the memorial. “We’ve come such a long way since the Wright Brothers made their first historic flight here more than a century ago. Just like that milestone, we think the CASSI represents the start of another revolution for transportation.” 

The CASSI will help the National Park Service and NCDOT learn more about how driverless vehicles can be safely and effectively used in the future. The CASSI will be tested at the Wright Brothers National Memorial for three months.  

“Wright Brothers National Memorial is excited about building upon the Wright brothers’ legacy of transportation innovation through this first-of-its-kind shuttle demonstration and through a successful partnership with NCDOT,” said David Hallac, superintendent, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. “This exploratory initiative will inform the park service’s use of autonomous transportation systems in the future.” 

While autonomous vehicles use state-of-the-art technology to operate without a driver, the CASSI will utilize a trained customer service operator in the vehicle who will monitor conditions and be able to manually stop the vehicle at any time to ensure the safety of passengers. The vehicle uses radar, LiDAR and GPS to navigate its route, while TransLoc provides real-time tracking software and a map that will keep riders updated on CASSI’s location on NCDOT’s website. 

During the pilot, information will be collected about things such as the number of passengers, trips and the vehicle’s battery usage. NCDOT and NPS will use the data to better understand how autonomous vehicles perform in different settings.    

Through July 16, the vehicle will take passengers from the Wright Brothers National Memorial museum to the First Flight bronze sculpture and back. 

Rides are free. However, the number of passengers is limited due to the size of the vehicle and space limitations due to COVID-19. Passengers will be asked to follow COVID-19 safety protocols during rides, including mask wearing and physical distancing. The vehicle operates at speeds between eight and 12 mph. 

The vehicle was originally introduced at the 2020 Transportation Summit in Raleigh and was then piloted at N.C. State University’s Centennial Campus last spring. More information can be found on NCDOT’s website and the National Park Service’s Wright Brothers National Memorial website. The NCDOT is leasing the vehicle from EasyMile.