Author profile picture

Russia has its first autonomous vehicle by Russian design began driving recently. Its job: to deliver biomaterial samples between buildings at the City Clinical Hospital No.1 in Moscow.

The vehicle passed safety certifications from the Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute (NAMI) – though it will still be ‘piloted’ by an operator who will monitor traffic safety from a driver’s seat.

An autonomous vehicle made out of country was already in place on the hospital grounds but has been replaced by a Russian-made one.

“We are glad that today we managed to launch an autonomous vehicle, on the base of a Russian car,” says Alexander Polyakov, Director of MosTransProekt. “This is the first car of this kind that performs social functions, helping medical personnel.”

Beginning 2019, a pilot program launched in Moscow to test innovative solutions within IT, education, medicine, construction, industry, and transportation. Since the launch, 50 technological projects have been tested, and about 30 more are in process. Developers have access to more than 100 sites for their solutions.

Read about a device that uses AI to predict traffic scenarios for autonomous vehicles.