Royal Air Force trials self-driving cars

The Royal Air Force has been trialling the use of self-driving cars as it explores ways to free up personnel from mundane tasks on military bases

Staff at RAF Brize Norton, Oxon, have been working with the Academy of Robotics on the trial which sees the ground-breaking Kar-go Delivery Bot delivering tools, equipment and supplies around the base.

Kar-go, a zero-emissions, self-driving delivery vehicle capable of 60 mph, performs autonomous and semi-autonomous procedures with a safety team monitoring from a unique mobile command hub known as Athena.

When arriving at its destination on the base, recipients meet Kar-go and a hatch is automatically released enabling them to collect the package.

The ‘Athena’ command hub is a secure mobile unit within a modified luxury coach, which can oversee all aspects of the vehicles' operations.

From this facility, the team can take control of the vehicle remotely if necessary, from a specially-designed command chair, complete with pedals and a steering wheel to reflect a normal driving experience.

Part-funded by the RAF’s Astra programme, with the British technology start-up, Academy of Robotics matching the investment, the trial is the first stage in understanding and investigating the potential to use autonomous delivery vehicles to support the work of RAF personnel.