May Mobility expands autonomous driver-out vehicle operations to second U.S. city
May Mobility has launched its second driverless operation in the U.S., in Ann Arbor, Mich. Testing driver-out in Ann Arbor is the next step toward expanding autonomous driver-out vehicle services commercially across the U.S. and Japan alongside key partners, including Toyota, NTT and Lyft.
May Mobility says the driver-out testing in Ann Arbor involves significant complexity of traffic, weather patterns and pedestrian density, and operates in and around approximately two-square miles of Ann Arbor surface streets. May Mobility showcased its driver-out capabilities with 30-minute autonomous vehicle rides on public roads during its Technology Day held in Ann Arbor.
"Starting driver-out operations in our second city in under a year shows the scalability of our technology while expanding our capabilities to challenging weather, higher speeds and busy traffic," said Edwin Olson, CEO and co-founder, May Mobility.
May Mobility notes its vehicles are equipped with patented Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology that leverages in-situ artificial intelligence to interpret data in real-time, continuously learning and adapting to new, complex and even unpredictable driving conditions to help create a safer, more comfortable ride. Additionally, May Mobility says it has continued to develop and advance the technology to handle an increasingly complex operational design domain.
As part of May Mobility's newest driver-out operations, the company introduced its latest generation of autonomy hardware and UX upgrades. During each ride, the passengers will get a view of the vehicle's perception and decision-making ability while it navigates. The vehicles have also been upgraded with accessibility in mind, including automated audio announcements and a physical keypad that includes brail. Without a safety operator behind the wheel, May Mobility has implemented a tele-assist platform for consistent monitoring of vehicle behavior and to provide vehicle assistance as needed. As a result, riders with questions or concerns can connect with customer support at the touch of a button.
May Mobility has successfully demonstrated AD technology through multiple commercial deployments, including 10 active deployments, which will increase to 13 by the end of this year. The company launched driver-out in Sun City, Ariz., less than a year ago, becoming the third company to operate driverless on public roads. May Mobility is currently working with Peachtree Corners, Ga., to bring driverless operations to the smart city in 2025. The company also recently announced its partnership with Lyft, including plans to transition future deployments to driver-out over time.
