End of city traffic? Dubai starts testing driverless electric pods
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the trial operation of the Dubai Glydways automated transit system at Bluewaters. The system uses autonomous electric vehicles supported by artificial intelligence technologies, operating on dedicated guideways, WAM reports.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, attended a presentation on the system and the operation of its autonomous vehicles, in the presence of Mark Seeger, Founder and Co-CEO of Glydways, and Blake Barber, Co-CEO and Chief Technology Officer of the company.
The presentation covered the technologies used to manage vehicle movements and monitor operations, along with the sensing, safety and control systems. Al Tayer also reviewed the control centre and was briefed on operations management and vehicle movement along the dedicated guideway, as well as the system’s advantages in on-demand transport and direct connections between departure and arrival points.
Al Tayer then took a ride in a Dubai Glydways vehicle, which travelled along the designated route at Bluewaters, a Dubai Retail destination under Dubai Holding. The five-minute ride marked the start of the Dubai Glydways trial operation, which will continue for four weeks.
The trial operation builds on the cooperation agreement signed between RTA and Glydways to launch Dubai’s first automated transit network programme of its kind. The initiative is designed to support the public transport system, broaden mobility options for residents and visitors, and improve access to Metro stations, key attractions and major destinations across the emirate.
The Bluewaters trial is also being implemented under a partnership agreement between RTA and Dubai Holding, covering the trial’s implementation, preparation of the field-testing environment, and provision of the required infrastructure and operational support. The arrangement is designed to support the assessment of the system’s technical and operational performance while examining opportunities for future expansion and operation.
Al Tayer said, “The start of trial operation for the Glydways system marks an important step in RTA’s journey towards adopting and developing future mobility systems, in line with the directives of our wise leadership to strengthen Dubai’s global leadership in smart and sustainable mobility. It also reflects RTA’s commitment to harnessing advanced technologies to develop an integrated and flexible transport system that supports the emirate’s rapid urban and economic growth and contributes to enhancing quality of life and the well-being of residents and visitors.”
Al Tayer added, “RTA is committed to transforming promising innovations and technologies in the transport sector into practical applications, and to testing and evaluating them within Dubai’s urban environment. The trial operation marks an important stage in assessing the system’s operational and technical aspects, evaluating its ability to provide a safe, seamless and reliable mobility experience, and exploring opportunities for integration with the public transport network, particularly for first- and last-mile journeys.”
Al Tayer noted that RTA continues to strengthen its partnerships with leading international companies specialising in advanced mobility technologies, autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence, while drawing on their expertise and innovative solutions to advance the transport system. These efforts reinforce Dubai’s position as a global platform for developing, testing and deploying future mobility technologies, while enabling innovative, flexible and scalable models that can respond to the emirate’s evolving growth and urban development needs.
The trial phase focuses on assessing the performance of the vehicles and their associated technical systems in an operational environment, and verifying the readiness of the autonomous driving, sensing, communication and control systems, together with their safety and reliability levels. It also includes evaluating the user experience and measuring operational indicators related to journey time, ease of use and vehicle movement management along the route, generating data and indicators that will support the assessment of future expansion opportunities for the system.
The Glydways system uses autonomous electric vehicles supported by artificial intelligence technologies. Operating independently of general traffic, the vehicles travel on dedicated, narrow guideways supported by lightweight structures that can be built at ground level or elevated, giving the network greater deployment flexibility and enabling integration with existing infrastructure and transport networks.
The system offers an innovative urban mobility model based on a round-the-clock, on-demand vehicle service, enabling passengers to travel directly from point to point. It provides fast journey times and a flexible mobility experience, with the option to personalise in-vehicle climate control and entertainment media.
The system can virtually link more than 10 vehicles with headways of less than one second. Each vehicle accommodates between four and six passengers, operates at speeds of up to 50 km/h, and offers a range of up to 250 km on a single battery charge. The vehicles are equipped with an advanced suite of sensing technologies, including 20 high-resolution LiDAR sensors, together with radar and high-definition cameras. These technologies work seamlessly with the autonomous driving and artificial intelligence systems to monitor the operating environment around the vehicle and manage its movement with a high degree of efficiency.
The system offers high operating capacity, carrying more than 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions. Its routes are designed for flexibility and scalability, allowing expansion in line with demand and the needs of urban areas. This creates a new transport model that combines the flexibility of small vehicles with the high passenger capacity of mass transit networks.
The system also offers high investment efficiency, with capital costs reduced by up to 90 percent and operating costs by up to 70 percent compared with similar transport modes, strengthening the case for innovative solutions in sustainable transport projects and supporting the development of scalable networks tailored to the mobility needs of different areas.
RTA is implementing the project under a public-private partnership model, enabling it to draw on the expertise of the private sector and leading international companies specialising in autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. The model also supports the application of best practices in the development and operation of future transport systems.
Providing effective first and last-mile solutions is a key focus of the Dubai Glydways project. The system’s design and dedicated guideways enable public transport stations to be linked with residential, commercial and tourist destinations, as well as key attractions. This helps extend the reach of the public transport network and provides an integrated, seamless journey from the point of departure to the destination.
Project plans include studying a number of routes linking Dubai Metro stations with key areas. These include a 2.8 km route connecting National Paints Metro Station with Bluewaters, as well as routes serving Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Festival City, Business Bay and Mohammed Bin Rashid City. The proposed routes will strengthen integration with Dubai Metro network and improve access to different destinations.
Mark Seeger, Founder and Co-CEO of Glydways, said, “The start of trial operation in Dubai marks an important milestone in our collaboration with RTA and a significant step in demonstrating the potential of automated transit networks to meet the needs of modern cities and deliver flexible, high-capacity, on-demand mobility services.”
He added, “Dubai provides an advanced environment for developing and testing future mobility solutions. Through our collaboration with RTA, we look forward to utilising the results of the trial operation to assess the system’s performance and further develop its solutions, supporting Dubai’s aspirations for smart, seamless and sustainable mobility.”
The Dubai Glydways model is based on a high-capacity automated transit network using autonomous electric vehicles on dedicated guideways to provide direct point-to-point journeys. The network can be expanded in line with the needs of individual areas and levels of mobility demand, enhancing flexibility in the planning and delivery of transport solutions across urban environments.
Founded in 2016, Glydways specialises in developing automated transit networks using autonomous electric vehicles. Its systems are scalable and rapidly deployable, designed to meet the mobility needs of cities and communities, while improving accessibility and connectivity between different modes of transport.
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