In a world-first, telecommunications icon, Ericsson, has launched an autonomous shuttle service on the streets of Stockholm.

CAPABLE OF TRAVELLING at up to 24km/h and carry 11 passengers (and one conductor), the autonomous shuttle service runs between three stops in a business district in Stockholm. The aim is to test autonomous driving technology in real-world scenarios. Ericsson said, “The testing will naturally include varying weather conditions as well as remote take-over and human response”. The second-half of the six-month trial will include testing of the vehicle’s connectivity to a 5G network.

Of course, Ericsson isn’t just doing this out of the goodness of its own heart, the trial is a real-world test for its Connected Urban Transport platform serves as the virtual bus driver for the shuttles in Stockholm, communicating with smart, sensor-enabled bus stops, traffic lights and road infrastructure.

In a bold move, though, Ericsson has made the API for the Connected Urban Transport platform open and is actively seeking developers to collaborate and build on its platform. The Connected Urban Transport platform is designed to work in with the brand’s own Advanced Traffic Management System which is up and running in the some cities in the US and across the Netherlands.

Question: Are self-driving shuttles the way forward or are we just developing more complex systems for the sake of it?