Racine Sun

Automated vehicles got a boost in Racine last week when area residents got their first real look at a new way to get around town.

What the Wisconsin Automated Vehicle Proving Grounds referred to in a news release as the "future of transportation" arrived in Racine for the town's Fourth Fest of Greater Racine Parade when Mayor Cory Mason turned up in a shuttle called "Badger."

The parade was on Monday, July 5, this year because Independence Day fell on Sunday.

"Today in the Racine parade I will be riding in an autonomous vehicle," Mason said in a Monday, July 5 Facebook post. "It is a partnership with the City of Racine, UW Madison and Gateway. Check it out."

Badger is the first municipal automated vehicle (AV) deployment in Wisconsin, heralding "the future of transportation: automated, connected, electrified and shared," according to a press release.

"As such, Racine AV provides a unique opportunity for the citizens and businesses of Racine and throughout Wisconsin to personally experience AV transportation, explore the positive impact of its implementation, and envision the many benefits that follow along," the news release said.

Badger is equipped with a Perrone Robotics navigation system. Perrone Robotics is an industry leader in fully autonomous vehicle technology designed to provide complete automatic driver service to a vehicle.

Racine residents can access the AV shuttle to go to work, do grocery shopping, and access health care, education and cultural recreational, and other opportunities, according to the news release. Badger is expected to be initially deployed on a fixed route through downtown Racine with a trained Racine Transit operator manning the vehicle at all times, including shuttle operation in AV mode.

"After building community trust, the AV shuttle could be potentially used for an on-demand service in the off-peak hours," the news release said.

It also gives other communities, including those that otherwise have little access to public transportation, a good look at how things can be better through AV.

"The Racine AV shuttle service is being designed to deploy and demonstrate how emerging automated transportation solutions can be harnessed effectively and symbiotically within existing public transportation systems to address the glaring disparities in our society," the news release said.