Savilahti robot bus experiment starts – would you dare to jump on board?

Testing of a robot bus will start in Kuopio’s Savilahti this spring. City of Kuopio has signed a contract with Remoted Oy for a six-month test. Remoted Oy will be responsible for the delivery, maintenance and operation of the bus. The experiment is part of the EU-funded SHOW project (SHared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption), in which Kuopio will be the northernmost pilot location.

The robot bus coming to Kuopio is called Ohmio Lift and has 12 seats. The bus will be shipped from New Zealand to Luxembourg. From there it will be trucked to Tampere for testing by Remoted Oy and then to Kuopio.

The route runs through the heart of Savilahti

Planned Savilahti pilot route runs back and forth from the new parking building in Sarastuskaari via Savo Vocational College and KPY Novapolis to the Snellmania building of the University of Eastern Finland (map). The robot bus is free of charge for passengers and there will always be a safety operator on board to assist passengers and guide the bus in exceptional situations.

The six-month experiment will show how well the technology works in Kuopio and will be used as a basis for considering the use of robotic buses in future.

Think for a name for the robot bus

City of Kuopio is looking for ideas from the city’s residents for a name for the robot bus. Suggestions for names can be submitted on Savilahti and Kuopio city social media channels and by answering the Surveypal questionnaire by 28 January 2024. A working group consisting of representatives from Kuopio Public Transport Unit and Savilahti project will choose the most suitable name, and the person with the best name suggestion will get a ride on the first ride of the robot bus in Savilahti.

For more information:

City of Kuopio / Development Specialist Retu Ylinen, 044 718 5140, retu.ylinen(at)kuopio.fi