Oxa Deploys Commercial Self-Driving Software for the First Time in Florida, US

Oxa, a UK-based provider of self-driving vehicle software, has launched its first commercial Oxa Driver product in passenger shuttles in Jacksonville, Florida. The services are operated by US shuttle service provider Beep in partnership with the Jacksonville Transport Authority (JTA) and the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ).

The shuttles are part of an autonomous vehicle (AV) program licensed by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

They support the JTA and FSCJ’s aim to become leaders for autonomous transportation as the city begins major investment in autonomous transport.

Oxa Driver enables vehicle automation independent of human control but trained safety attendants will be used on the FSCJ route to boost confidence and trust while passengers get used to the self-driving experience.

The first rollout will be followed by 7 more featuring Oxa software planned in cities across the US and UK in 2024.

Oxa CEO, Gavin Jackson, says: “My view is AV technology won’t be commercially viable in cars or taxis for a decade so focus should shift to the mass movement of people and goods, specifically shared passenger systems such as the FSCJ shuttle, and industrial logistics. These sectors suffer from severe driver shortages yet they also offer huge public and business benefits if they can be enhanced - and autonomy can do that in a cost-effective way now.”

Oxa Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Professor Paul Newman CBE, comments: “Deploying Oxa Driver in passenger shuttles playing a key role in a community’s regeneration is momentous. When I started Oxa in 2014, my vision was that autonomous vehicles should be a noticeable force for good, not only improving driving safety but also in elevating possibilities for people. It’s easy to get caught up in the technology but FSCJ proves that when science meets purpose, and it adds up financially, you have a powerful reason to go faster and further, and that’s exactly what we’ll do now.”

JTA CEO, Nat Ford, adds: “This initiative is a testament to years of hard work and collaboration between the private and public sector, including the U.S. Department of Transportation. We are eager for the FSCJ campus and the wider Jacksonville community to experience these AVs firsthand to see the benefits they bring.”

Oxa Driver is the culmination of 10 years of invention, software engineering, hardware integration, machine learning and testing in the virtual and real worlds.