The trial of Kingswinford firm by Westfield’s Pod is said to be a huge breakthrough for driverless travel.
The Pod, designed and built by Westfield Technology Group, is a success story for British engineering, with the vehicle – and all of its parts – being built and assembled from its headquarters at Gibbons Industrial Park.
Its Pod is currently running at Brockhole Visitor Centre, near Windermere, and, in another breakthrough, doesn’t feature a safety steward on board.
Westfield provides a virtual tour while in the Pod as it travels, as well as providing information on local events.
The vehicle is also equipped with the latest voice recognition technology to allow the visually impaired to feel more confident about the technology.
Westfield chief executive Julian Turner said that the trial represented a breakthrough in self-driving travel, with one in 10 vehicles predicted to be autonomous by 2030.
“It is working beautifully,” he said.
“We had the system thoroughly tested by independent parties Nexor (cyber security),…
