Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) brings future technology to the road

In the "Automated Mobility Ingolstadt" real-world laboratory, the university is using a self-driving minibus on public roads for the first time. The so-called Navya shuttle travels between the THI campus on the Esplanade and the Paradeplatz and makes one of the key future technologies of mobility directly tangible.

Research that moves: On campus, THI President Professor Walter Schober (second from right) and Project Leader Professor Andreas Riener (right) showcase how autonomous driving is becoming reality (Photo: THI).

A quiet signal sounds as the white and green vehicle stops at Paradeplatz. Passers-by stop, some pull out their mobile phones: there is no driver at the wheel, and yet the shuttle moves quietly and precisely through the city. For many, the sight is still unfamiliar - for THI, it is another step towards the transport of the future.

The aim of the project is to test automated vehicles under real-life conditions, further develop safety aspects and find ways to integrate such systems into everyday life in a meaningful way. "We want to make autonomous driving tangible and get people involved right from the start," explains Professor Andreas Riener, head of the project and Professor of Human-Machine Interaction at THI. "The shuttle is not just a technical experiment - it is an important step towards safe, inclusive and accepted mobility for everyone."

THI President Professor Walter Schober also sees it that way after a test drive: "The Ingolstadt region combines research expertise and industrial infrastructure with the THI and local companies to shape the mobility of tomorrow. As our shuttle also shows, we want to become a model region for autonomous driving and make the future tangible."

The project is supported by a strong network: together with Institute AImotion Bavaria and the CARISSMA Institute for Automated Driving (C-IAD), THI is developing a system in which vehicles and urban infrastructure interact smoothly. The city of Ingolstadt is supporting the operation with measuring stations along the route, while Ingolstadt Hospital and the Inclusion Council are contributing their expertise in barrier-free mobility. In addition to technical development, a particular focus is on social issues: THI researchers are investigating how trust in autonomous vehicles is created, what expectations citizens have of such systems and how new technologies can be implemented in a safe and user-friendly way. Teleoperation solutions are also being tested so that the shuttle can be operated without a safety driver in future.

With the shuttle project, THI is demonstrating how scientific research, municipal cooperation and technological innovation can work together to shape the mobility of the future - right in the centre of Ingolstadt.

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