Aurrigo, a UK-based driverless vehicle technology developer, is trialling one of its ‘podzero’ cars (pictured) at the Elliot Gardens Retirement Village – an hour south of Adelaide.
The trial aims to showcase how autonomous technology can improve mobility for older South Australians and help them to ‘age in place’, starting with the 330 residents living on the 27-hectare Elliot Gardens site.
The battery powered car – nicknamed “Elliot” by residents – operates with sensor technologies and can only reach a maximum speed of 24 kilometres an hour (so it’s safe to have roaming around!)
“We recognise it’s not always easy for older residents to get around and it makes perfect sense to utilise advanced technology to improve their quality of life,” said local MP David Basham.
SA isn’t the first Australian state where these autonomous little guys are being tested – in fact, as we covered here, they’ve been popping up in aged care across NSW, QLD and the ACT since 2017.
Even so – best of luck to you, Elliot!
