Autonomous driving project coordinated from Leipzig

Leipzig Public Transit (LVB) is coordinating a nationwide project for autonomous driving in public transit. According to a press release, 30 partners from transit agencies, industry, academia, and associations are collaborating on the research and development project titled MILA.mobility. The goal is to develop an open, manufacturer-neutral platform to enable autonomous vehicles from various manufacturers to integrate into existing operational and control center systems.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space. According to the information provided, the funding amounts to approximately 32.6 million euros, with the total project budget at around 57 million euros. Matthias Hauer, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, said in the press release: “Germany is set to become the leading market for autonomous driving.”

As a first step, the components and interfaces will be developed and tested in a virtual laboratory, the press release added. Subsequently, the results will be further developed and tested step by step under real-world conditions. Five test sites are being established for this purpose: in Leipzig, the Hanover region, the Munich region, Ludwigslust-Parchim, and the Rhine-Main area. The test sites are designed to reflect the various requirements of public transportation. 

For several years, LVB has been working with partners to develop and test autonomous mobility solutions for local public transit. “The insights gained from this work are now being incorporated into the coordination of the nationwide project as well as into the development of common industry standards,” the statement continued.