CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There's a new way to get around UNC Charlotte.
A self-driving shuttle is now taking passengers around campus. It's part of an experiment on autonomous vehicles by the NC Department of Transportation.
The cutting edge technology is called Cassi. It sits about eight people and goes 12 miles per hour.
“This is one of the most complicated pilots that they’ve done here in the state of North Carolina," Doug Lape, associate vice chancellor for business services at UNC Charlotte, said.
It's the most complicated because the self driving electric vehicle will have to navigate campus life. From traffic lights, to steering clear of pedestrians.
“It uses all kinds of technology from radar, to cellular, to radio and puts all those technologies together and maps out the route in advance," Lape said.
But for extra safety precautions, if needed, an operator is on board.
“If the vehicle encounters conditions that it's not designed to operate under, we always have that fall back, the attendant can take over," Sarah Searcy, senior advisor for innovation for NCDOT, said.
NCDOT said the goal is to see how this technology will work long-term as a public transportation option.
"We still see this technology as still under development, so it’s great to demonstrate it in different contexts," Searcy said.
UNC Charlotte professors and students are also using the technology to understand how it best works on campus.
So far, students say it's a first step into a drive-less future.
“I think it’s really cool," Jessie Rodriguez, a student, said.
This pilot project will end in December. NCDOT and university officials will evaluate its success.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.