News Published on : 01-Nov-2021 17:03:29

National Museums Scotland has acquired a prototype LUTZ Pathfinder one of three vehicles used for the first test of fully self-driving cars in public in the UK. Going on display in the National Museum of Scotland from today it is the first autonomous vehicle to enter a UK museum collection. The electric-powered two-seater pod built and gifted by RDM Group Coventry was equipped with autonomous control systems developed by the Oxford Robotics Institute. It was part of a trial carried out in 2016 in pedestrianised areas of Milton Keynes. The LUTZ Pathfinder project fed into the UK Autodrive programme working towards the creation of a fleet of fully autonomous vehicles able to operate without test drivers. Benefits range from environmental efficiency to improved safety for passengers and pedestrians. Cutting-edge driverless technology already has real-word applications. Online grocery retailer Ocado has partnered with Oxbotica (a company formed out of the Oxford Robotics Institute) to build self-driving vehicles to serve their customers. The LUTZ Pathfinder has also paved the way for new technology like the Starship Technologies delivery robots which deliver goods to households in Milton Keynes and Northampton.