An autonomous vehicle company in England called Aurrigo will soon launch a six-month trial to demonstrate how driverless pods can help improve the mobility and independence of people that have health conditions and disabilities.

Considered the first trial of its kind in the world, the trial will involve blind veterans in Brighton, England that are participating in an exercise that explores possible ‘first and last mile’ transport options.

Aurrigo has partnered with Blind Veterans UK for the trial, which is expected to start in April. The company expects to obtain valuable real-life experiences that it can use to improve the technology going forward.

For Aurrigo, this is its first time conducting an extended trial with veterans or people with a disability. The company hopes that its pods can provide a long-term option to improve the independence of people that have mobility issues.

“This trial is intended to see how the pods operate in a real-life environment and how veterans interact with them. We want to know about all the good things and we also want to know about things that need to be better – this should inform the next evolution of the pod and the changes/additions we may need to incorporate into the design,” says Miles Garner, sales and marketing director for Aurrigo.

“Having feedback from Blind Veterans UK and their members taking part will be a massive boost in improving our pods and making them more user-friendly for people with disabilities. This has never been done in the world before and we are delighted that Blind Veterans UK has helped make it happen.”

Capable of traveling at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour off road, Aurrigo’s four-seat Pod will operate around the most popular parts of the Blind Veterans UK training and rehabilitation center in Ovingdean, near Brighton, including the main entrance, the memorial bench, chapel and activity barn.

Named after the founder of Blind Veterans UK Sir Arthur Pearson, the pod was developed with the consultation of Guide Dogs, a sight loss charity. It has been designed to best suit the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired. 

This trial will be the first time that those with a vision impairment will test the pods themselves, and it will be the first time that the pods provide a real service.

“So many of the blind veterans we support say that not being able to drive is one of the most significant things that hits you when you lose your sight. It’s another way of losing independence and can make people feel more isolated,” explains Chief Executive of Blind Veterans UK, Major General (Rtd) Nick Caplin CB.

“Anything we can do to assist and feedback on this new technology will hopefully benefit the lives of our veterans and the wider disabled community in the years to come.”