Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) has announced funding for the MINGA research project, which is focused on advancing the use of autonomous vehicles in Munich.
This project aims to develop “Munich’s automated local transport system with ride pooling, solo buses and bus platoons”.
It will include an on-demand autonomous ride-hailing system integrated into the city’s transport network, as well as digitally coupled buses in a platoon and a driverless solo bus.
The project will run until the end of 2025 and will be facilitated by 12.73 million EUR in BMDV funding.
Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, said:Digitalisation and automation offer great opportunities to make public transport safer, more efficient and more climate-friendly. Through the use of innovative technologies, we want to make public transport even more flexible and needs-based.
The MINGA research project in Munich shows how different driverless transport systems can be intelligently linked and sensibly integrated into existing public transport. With our funding, we want to support autonomous and networked driving and new offers in local public transport and lay important foundations for similar projects in Germany.
In addition to the purchase of driverless vehicles, this funding will enable two bus platoons to be switched to autonomous operations. It will also fund the creation of a digital twin, traffic light priority systems and the development of a new video-based concept for bus stop monitoring using artificial intelligence technology.
The grant is part of the first call for funding for the BMDV’s “Autonomous and networked driving in public transport” programme.
