Autonomous vehicle makes its rounds through Detroit

The reality of autonomous vehicles is around the corner, as Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan got to ride in a May Mobility vehicle following an hour long tour of the Auto Show.

“We're heading in that direction,” Duggan said. “Very impressive.”

He has family in California that use autonomous vehicles to get around and suggested closing off downtown streets next year to give people this hands-off experience

“The auto dealers are thinking about it but hopefully next year they'll listen to me and people will all come out to see what it's like,” he said.

The driver of the mobility vehicle was in the driver’s seat but, only ensured the ride around downtown Detroit was a smooth one on Tuesday.

Ed Olson, founder and CEO of May Mobility, said the vehicle has five radar sensors and eight cameras.

The May Mobility autonomous vehicle took a spin through the streets of Detroit on Sept. 12, 2023. (Bob Bellacicco/CTV News Windsor) “It's looking at every direction all the time to understand where other road users are,” Olson said. “To understand where buildings and obstacles are and of course understand where the lanes are.”

During CTV News Windsor's ride we encountered a scooter, pedestrians, a truck idled in a lane and bikes. The vehicle adjusted to each scenario taking into account what was happening and likely scenarios.

Olson said the technology will be initially used to transport those with mobility issues, including an aging population.

“We see even professional business people using this. Every time you can prevent a personally owned car from coming to downtown you're reducing congestion. You're reducing pollution,” he said.

In 2017 the company had a shuttle-type vehicle that travelled around the Renaissance Centre at a rate of between 12 to 16 km/h with a limit of 300 meters. Six years later, they have a vehicle that can travel the roads of downtown Detroit at 55 km/h and adjust to situations spontaneously.

“It's definitely something that some of us here and our ecosystem partners are exploring,” said Invest Windsor-Essex CEO Stephen MacKenzie, who feels the technology could be part of a new innovation district in the area.

“It's being worked on right now and it could include autonomous shuttles, autonomous vehicles operating in a set traffic pattern,” he said.

The virtual cave at the Innovation Centre offers an opportunity to test how autonomous vehicles would work in the city.

“We'll continue to plan and hopefully in the next couple of months we'll have a proposal we can start to present to get feedback from the public on,” said MacKenzie.