UK – At this year’s Cenex Expo, held at the Millbrook Proving Ground between 3-4 September, Bristol-based tech company Fusion Processing Ltd showcased a self-driving bus produced in partnership with Alexander Dennis for deployment on public roads in Cambridgeshire.Truck & Bus Builder spoke again with Jim Hutchinson, Fusion’s chief executive officer, to get an update on the company.

The bus in question is a battery electric ‘Enviro100’ model which has been fitted with an array of cameras, radars, and sensors developed by Fusion as part of its automated driving system, called ‘CAVstar’. The inside of the vehicle looks largely the same as an ordinary bus, except that certain seats have been marked as unsafe for use while the bus is in self-driving mode (a precautionary measure in case the bus needs to be stopped suddenly in an emergency). In the cab, there is a single monitor to provide the safety driver with important information, alerting him in case he needs to take control of the bus. The whole setup is intended to be as similar to a manual bus as possible, reassuring drivers and passengers, Hutchinson said.