12January2017
CeBIT 2017 (20–24 March, Mon.–Fri.)
Digital mobility: Autonomous vehiclefeatured at CeBIT– the Swiss PostSmartShuttle
In Berlin a self-driving electric bus is transportingpassengers around a private estate, while in London self-driving robots are being used to make food deliveries. Meanwhile in the United States, autonomous trucks are being used to transport cases of beer and in Switzerland two self-driving shuttle busesareferrying passengers around downtown Sion in the Swiss canton of Valais.
Hannover, Germany.In March 2017, CeBIT visitors in Hannovercan experience first-hand what has already in the pilot phasefor several months now in Switzerland, in a European-wide pioneer project for public transportation: They can take a ride in a self-driving shuttle. The national postal agency Swiss Post is bringing its “SmartShuttle”system to CeBIT – two automatically guided vehicleswhich willcarry tradeshow visitors from the West 1 entrance gate through Hall 13 and into Hall 12.
Each bus has seating for 11 passengers, with a top speed of 20 km per hour. They are equipped with cameras and sensors which can recognize obstacles as well as people and objects in their path, thusallowingfor automatic braking of the vehicles. The vehicles also have two emergency stop buttons and a camera. A service worker will accompany each of the two self-driving shuttles, helping people get on and off and also intervening manually to stop the vehicles in case of an emergency.
Swiss Post launchedits pilot test of the two self-driving vehicles in June 2016 in downtown Sion in the Swiss canton of Valais.The buses travel a fixed circuit of 1,500 meters there, stopping at several points along the way. At one of the stops there is a screen on which the positionof both vehicles is shown in real time. The passengers can also use an app to locate the position of the two shuttles. Since launching test operations the two “SmartShuttles” have traveled a total of 2,500 kilometers and transported more than 14,000 passengers. The test phase lasts until October 2017.
A video on the pilot phase of the “SmartShuttles” is available online at
At the CeBIT Preview event in Hannover, Germany, on Wednesday, 25 January, journalists can find out the latest information on the SmartShuttles at thePostAutoSwitzerland info booth.
CeBIT –Global Event for Digital Business
CeBIT is the world’s foremost event devoted to the digitalization of business, administration and society. Staged annually in Hannover, Germany, the event attracts more than 3,000 exhibiting companies and some 200,000 visitors. The event spotlights the hottest new technologies likeartificial intelligence, autonomous systems, virtual & augmented reality, humanoid robots and drones. And with the lead theme at CeBIT 2017 being “d!conomy – no limits”, the spotlight will be placed squarely on the opportunities opened up by digital transformation.Thanks to its combination of trade fair, conference and networking hub, CeBIT has become a must for representatives from the entire digital industry. The international startup community is also strongly represented at CeBIT: In the SCALE 11 sector, more than 400 start-ups will be showcasing their ideas and plans. CeBIT 2017 runs from 20 to 24 March, with Japan as the official Partner Country for the event. Further information is available at
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Your contact for further information atPostAutoSwitzerland:
Medienstelle PostAuto
Phone:+41 58 338 57 00
E-mail:
Your contact for further information at Deutsche Messe:
Gabriele Dörries
Phone:+49 511 89-31014
E-mail:
For related press releases and images, visit:
Deutsche Messe AGMessegelände
30521 Hannover
Germany
Tel. +49 511 89-0
Fax +49 511 89-36694
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