NEWS - 2024/03/04

The LogiSmile Project Will Test Two Autonomous Vehicles in a Pilot in Braunschweig

As urban freight distribution represents 20% of pollution emissions in urban environments, a European consortium of cities, and industrial and academic partners, is committed to testing new business models and innovative mobility technologies to mitigate adverse health, safety, and environmental effects associated with city logistics.

Within the framework of LogiSmile, a project supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Urban Mobility (EIT Urban Mobility), the city of Braunschweig (Germany) will host a new test exhibition of 2 autonomous logistics robots in the vicinity of the Hermann-Blenk-Straße at the headquarters of the Niedersächsisches Forschungszentrum Fahrzeugtechnik (NFF) on March 22.

The main participants in the project’s pilot will be the RAION vehicle, an autonomous hub vehicle operating the city’s main arteries, and the Ona robot, an autonomous delivery device conducting the last-mile delivery to the final customers in pedestrian areas. These two vehicles will pick up and deliver packages and reach the designated package exchange locations under the coordination of a mission control centre. One of the main characteristics of the pilot is the coordination and collaboration between the 2 vehicles, highlighting the interoperability of two distinct robots that are part of the same system fleet.

Moreover, a logistics operator from the global Courier Express Parcel (CEP) market will be involved in the pilot, showcasing a business-oriented demonstration. Its participation will also allow the consortium to reflect on the need to reduce both the externalities of urban transportation and last-mile distribution operation costs, which is a crucial aspect for logistics service providers.

The LogiSmile consortium believes that this test will be a key milestone in the development of autonomous delivery systems, which will revolutionize the logistics business by providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable delivery solutions. The LogiSmile project is coordinated by CARNET in close collaboration with Area Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), CITYlogin, the Cluster Catalonia Logistics, Delivery Couple, Ajuntament d’Esplugues de Llobregat, Last Mile Autonomous Delivery LMAD, Niedersächsisches Forschungszentrum Fahrzeugtechnik (NFF), NMS Hamburg, PTV GROUP, Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT),  Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, the city of Braunschweig, Vaive Logistics, and Volkswagen Group.