An autonomous technology specialist has secured nearly £700,000 of funding from The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements programme to extend its ‘autonomous cargo’ work at East Midlands Airport.
Aurrigo International plc, which employs over 110 people at its advanced engineering centre in Coventry, will accelerate its Ramp Ready project that will see it deploy two of its Auto-Cargo autonomous vehicles and one eight-passenger Auto-Shuttle.
The objective is to refine a multi-vehicle fleet framework for airside logistics over the next nine months, enabling simultaneous cargo and aircrew transport.
Innovations include improved environmental testing, expanded simulation capabilities, and modular, low-volume manufacturing to reduce costs and accelerate scalability.
The project supports the commercial readiness of both cargo and passenger autonomous vehicles, whilst generating critical operational data for ongoing development.
David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo International plc, said: “Auto-Cargo® is our largest aviation vehicle to date and is set to transform airside logistics by autonomously carrying a total payload of 16,500kg. The vehicle is a fully electric, zero emission alternative to existing diesel-powered models.
“The latest funding will allow us to accelerate deployment at East Midlands Airport, as well as integrating our Auto-Shuttle® to cater for short distance passenger and staff transport. It’s about proving out a multi-fleet approach, as well as gaining valuable insights into real-world situations that we can build into our solutions as we scale.”
Ramp Ready is one of four Aurrigo International projects that have been awarded a total of £1m of funding to accelerate sustainable airport and transport innovations.
Grants from The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements programme and Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme will see the company deliver simulation, feasibility studies and real-world vehicle trials in The Orkney Islands and closer to home in the West Midlands.
They will involve close collaboration with industry partners International Airlines Group (IAG), Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRAINS) and Urban Foresight.
David Keene added: “These awards reflect our commitment to building the next generation of intelligent, sustainable, and scalable transport systems that operate in both urban and airside operations.
“From immersive VR for airside training to real-world AV deployments and rural mobility innovation, we’re proud to be working with exceptional partners across the UK to bring transformative change to both aviation and ground transport.”
