Designing WATonoBus, the Autonomous Shuttle Bus on Campus
Every day, the University of Waterloo in Canada buzzes with the hum of the WATonoBus, a self-driving shuttle bus that navigates the 2.7-kilometer ring road encircling the campus. This autonomous shuttle, available to students, faculty, and visitors, is one of the many innovative projects happening at the Mechatronic Vehicle Systems Lab (MVS), one of the world’s largest academic automotive labs.
The MVS Lab, which has been working for over 15 years, has collaborated with numerous organizations and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including industry giant General Motors.
“We usually have between 40 and 50 graduate students, engineers, postdocs, and technicians working,” says Dr. Amir Khajepour, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo and the head of the MVS Lab.
Six years ago, the lab embarked on its autonomous driving project with initial funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. Since then, the project, which adopted the name WATonoBus, has engaged dozens of students, evolving into a platform for developing various technologies for autonomous mobility.
The full article can be read at MathWorks.