CROZET, Va., Aug. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Perrone Robotics, Inc., a leading provider of fully autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and turnkey vehicle solutions for the mobility of people and things, was recently awarded a contract by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to deliver an electric Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) shuttle integrated with Perrone's TONY® retrofit kit. The shuttle, nicknamed "The Badger," is part of an effort to pioneer and integrate autonomous vehicle shuttles into public transportation systems in Racine, Wisconsin. It will be used across student, faculty and guest transit operations. The contract award includes deployment of Perrone's reliable core TONY® autonomous vehicle driverless system, the licensing of software, integration of a Polaris GEM LSV, and the provision of related services.

UW-Madison's Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory (TOPS Lab), a research laboratory within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will use the highly automated vehicle on public and private roads for research, data collection and public engagement. Through a partnership with the city of Racine, Gateway Technical College and UW-Madison, Perrone's AV vehicle will be part of a larger initiative focused on bringing mobility options across Wisconsin.

The deployment of the shuttle will be based on a fixed-route service on private and public roads surrounding the technical college campus with plans to expand to a downtown Racine connector route and on-demand service during off-peak hours. Trained Racine Transit operators will man the AV shuttles during service to oversee operations.

"I am delighted to take the next steps in bringing autonomous public transit options to the City of Racine. Through our partnership with UW Madison and Gateway Technical College, the City has been thinking outside the box on how to bring smart transportation options to our residents. Now, with the help of Perrone Robotics, we will begin to test our ideas, not just in the real world, but in an urban environment and on City streets. It's very exciting," said City of Racine Mayor Cory Mason

"Leveraging the capabilities of Perrone's AV systems, we're excited to partner with the city of Racine and Gateway Technical College not only on a research initiative that will help advance the safety and efficacy of autonomous vehicles, but also on opportunities to educate students and the public on the benefits of these technologies in a smart, interconnected urban environment," says David Noyce, TOPS Lab director, College of Engineering executive associate dean, and the Arthur F. Hawnn Professor in civil and environmental engineering at UW-Madison. "In the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea, this collaboration allows us to work together and share our knowledge in a 'living laboratory' as we usher in a new era of connected and automated vehicles."

"Demonstrating the way automated transportation solutions can be harnessed efficiently alongside existing public transportation systems is an important step toward building smarter and safer cities," said Perrone Robotics CEO, Paul Perrone. "This partnership provides a great opportunity to showcase the capability of Perrone Robotics' autonomous retrofit platform TONY, and its robotics software platform MAX, while improving access to transportation for the City of Racine and providing educational opportunities for students connected to this program. We are excited to announce this contract after the success we have received at AUVSI's Xponential 2021."

Researchers from the TOPS Lab will work alongside professionals in Racine's public, private, and nonprofit sectors to develop and refine the technical elements of the AV shuttle deployment. The TOPS Lab researchers will monitor and evaluate the safety and operation of the AV shuttle. Gateway Technical College will house the shuttle and incorporate it into education and training opportunities to prepare the workforce for future employment opportunities and to expand research, data collection, and public engagement.

About Perrone Robotics, Inc.
Perrone is a leading provider of fully autonomous vehicle systems. The company delivers mobility excellence via TONY® (short for "TO Navigate You"), a vehicle independent retrofit kit for use in the autonomous transit of people and goods in geo-fenced and localized operations. TONY embeds inside any vehicle type for any job applications to provide a complete "artificial driver" solution that brings full autonomy in a safety certifiable framework. Proven, piloted and in commercial production, Perrone autonomous systems help commercial, municipal, and governmental customers increase transportation efficiencies, enhance safety, and accelerate zero-emission electric vehicle deployment. The company also offers a portfolio of existing turnkey autonomous shuttles and vehicles pre-integrated with the TONY retrofit kit. Learn more at www.perronerobotics.com or follow us @perronerobotics.

About the UW-Madison College of Engineering
With an alumni base of 50,000 engineers throughout the world, the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering is among the nation's top colleges of engineering. It consists of eight degree-granting departments and one of the nation's oldest and largest continuing education programs for professional engineers. We admit top students whose UW-Madison engineering experience enables them to further grow as thinkers, doers, professionals and leaders, and our faculty, staff and students are key drivers of economic and social progress. Through patented research, endeavors such as spin-off companies ,and work directly with industry partners, the fruits of our research extend into businesses and industries worldwide.

About the City of Racine 
With a population of 78,000, Racine, Wisconsin is the fifth largest municipality in the state of Wisconsin.  It is home to manufacturing businesses that enjoy world-wide reputations, SC Johnson, CNH Industrial, Twin Disc, Modine, and In-Sink-Erator among them. Racine is also home to diverse cultures, a thriving downtown, and world-class beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan.  

Contact 
Eric Becker
104 West Partners for Perrone Robotics, Inc.
eric.becker@104west.com 

SOURCE Perrone Robotics Inc