Addison Lee Group and Oxbotica have begun detailed mapping of London’s Canary Wharf to better understand the requirements of a fully autonomous service that Addison Lee plans to launch by 2021.
In cooperation with the Canary Wharf Group and insurer AXA XL, the companies have started recording every curb, road sign, landmark and traffic light in Canary Wharf’s 128-acre estate. This effort will be expanded to the whole of London, with more than 400,000km of roads to be documented.
The process will be repeated several times at different times of the day and in different seasons to record how city streets change with variable lighting and weather conditions.
Mark Nallen, head of technology and innovation at Canary Wharf Group, said, “With an expanding estate, and visitor and commuter numbers growing, we need to plan our future transport needs. The mapping exercise with our partners at Addison Lee Group, Oxbotica and AXA XL is the first stage on this journey.”
Graeme Smith, CEO of Oxbotica, added, “This mapping is another step towards making AVs a reality in complex urban environments such as Canary Wharf. This partnership shows the trust we have gained to deploy our integrated autonomous vehicle and fleet management software in even the most challenging of environments. We look forward to bringing AVs into mainstream use on the streets of London in the very near future.”
By Illya Verpraet