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BumbleB: The autonomous bumblebee brings mobility to rural regions!
Bertrandt is developing the autonomous shuttle “BumbleB” in Ehningen to improve mobility in rural areas.
BumbleB: The autonomous bumblebee brings mobility to rural regions!
Bertrandt has developed an innovative, autonomous shuttle called “BumbleB” (Bumblebee) that will be used in Ehningen. The aim of this development is to position the shuttle as a useful addition to local public transport, especially in rural areas. The BumbleB is developed in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences in Bern, which makes a valuable contribution to the technical aspects. There are currently various challenges in the field of autonomous driving in Germany, such as the lack of bus drivers, the inefficient size of buses and an aging population that relies on alternative mobility solutions.
The autonomous shuttle is intended to be designed especially for people who are no longer able to drive a car independently. The planned use of the BumbleB will take place in less developed regions where local public transport is often not sufficiently available. However, details on the exact functionality, when it will be used and the associated costs are still pending. Bertrandt has already presented another autonomous shuttle project called “Ant” in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart in 2024.
Research projects and tests
There are numerous research projects underway in Germany that deal with the development and testing of autonomous minibuses. Current test phases can be observed in twelve cities. Autonomous minibuses from ZF will be tested in Mannheim and Friedrichshafen from October 2024. For the upcoming introduction of autonomous driving solutions, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has already examined the acceptance and user interest in such shuttles and achieved positive results. This suggests that public interest in these technologies is growing, bringing benefits to mobility in rural and underserved areas.
Although many aspects of autonomous mobility are still evolving, progress to date shows a promising direction that could make it possible to improve mobility for broad segments of the population.