Meet CASSI: North Carolina’s First Fully Autonomous Vehicle

The General Assembly clearly was preparing for the future in June 2017 when it enacted regulations governing the operation of fully autonomous vehicles. Just two-and-a-half years later, that future has arrived on North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus. There, students, staff and visitors to campus can take a ride with CASSI, a driverless vehicle. What is CASSI? Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) is, as the name suggests, a driverless shuttle. The model is an EZ10, manufactured by EasyMile, a company headquartered in Toulouse, France. The EZ10 has been deployed in other U.S. cities, including Columbus, Ohio and Dublin, California, and on other university campuses, including the University of Florida and Virginia Tech. The vehicle, which is electric, is designed to address the so-called first-mile/last-mile problem in public transit, which occurs when transit stops are too far away for a comfortable walk and when other infrastructure deficiencies, such as the lack of sidewalks or bike lanes, make it difficult to access public transportation. CASSI operates on public roadways that form a loop through Centennial campus. Industry experts explain that no special infrastructure is required for the EZ10 route. Various technologies are employed to create a virtual line that the vehicle follows and continually repeats. Though EZ10s can reach speeds of about 15 miles per hour, CASSI travels about 7 miles per hour. Signs are posted along the route notifying would-be riders of CASSI stops and other drivers that an autonomous vehicle is in operation. Legal requirements. G.S. 20-4.01(h) sets forth five [...]