Cutting Edge, Automated Mobility at the Oldest National Park & Beyond

Mobility as an amenity is one way to characterize Beep’s autonomous transportation service. To paraphrase Princeton’s Dr. Kornhauser, Beep’s service is like a horizontal elevator connecting buildings spread out over a given area. In a sense, what Beep is offering is an extension of its sponsors’ customer experience. These are just a few takeaways from the above video interview with Beep CEO, Joe Moye, and Beep CMO, Racquel Asa.

Beep’s pilot with the National Park Service to ferry customers around Yellowstone is an excellent example of how their shuttles and associated service can potentially improve the visitor’s experience. Asa points out that the onboard safety attendants serve as ambassadors for Beep’s sponsoring entity. In the case of Yellowstone, safety attendants are potential tour guides.

The quiet electric vehicles, the onboard screens, and the 360-degree view afforded by the vehicle’s large windows allow for a tour experience even if the route is one that is relatively mundane. From an NPS perspective, getting people out of their cars into shared vehicles will help it reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

Beyond Yellowstone #

Beep comes to Yellowstone with multiple commercial applications in Florida and Arizona. A common thread among the routes Beep serves is that they are, as Racquel Asa says, too far to walk, but too close to drive.

Another thing that makes their approach unique is that, with current deployments, sponsors pay for the trips. The common motivation for this “free ride” is to literally drive traffic to shops, businesses, and/or existing transit systems. For instance, HART in Tampa is using Beep to connect people with their bus transit network. Similarly, last week’s launch of a pilot with the St. Petersburg Transit Authority extends the usefulness of shared transportation by connecting the Cross Bay ferry system amenities and bus transit.

In the case of Tavistock Development Company and its 17-square mile Lake Nona, Florida development, their program’s objective is to make it easier to explore their community.  In addition to being the home of Beep, Lake Nona is the hub of innovation with recent announcements from Lilium for the first U.S. vertiport and Verizon on its 5G innovation lab. Beep is one of Verizon’s partners and they will jointly test 5G millimeter wave technology for communicating between shuttles and the Beep Command Center.

A real-time communications link is essential, not so much for the operation of the vehicle, but for understanding the operation of the vehicle as well as ensuring a good experience for the passengers. The Command Center allows for remote monitoring and assistance to the safety attendant as needed. Someday, the Command Center will replace the in-person safety attendant/ambassador with a virtual presence. Moye suggests that this advancement won’t necessarily mean fewer jobs, just a change in the types of jobs, as this will help drive down the cost and improve overall mobility.

Mobility for All #

To his point of improving mobility for people of all abilities, Moye suggests they are designing the service for ADA-compliance. Although not tied to a specific manufacturer, the underlying design of the shuttles, such as the one they operate from Navya, lends itself to ramps and accommodation for wheelchairs. Additionally, the in-cabin screens provide another form of communication for the hearing challenged.

Those screens offer a revenue opportunity as well, as evidenced by Beep’s advertising program. Beyond advertising, this program can involve the safety attendant as well, as Beep’s website indicates, “The attendant on the shuttle can be engaged to distribute promotional items during the shuttle rides.”

The vehicle operation relies on the combination of sensors, such as Lidar, and precision mapping of pre-determined routes [see this overview of Navya]. They have an associated app and Moye suggests they are experimenting with an on-demand routing whereby the shuttle would be repositioned to a passenger’s location. Even with the route approach, Moye indicates that they have transported approximately 16,000 people in the first 7 months of a 1.2-mile route.

Moye suggests it might be another 4 or 5 years before the total cost of operation is lower than a traditional gasoline-powered shuttle van with a driver.  Beyond technology improvements, by being out there at the front of the wave, as Moyes says, they are able to learn by delivering autonomous mobility services today.

Interview highlights #

• 00:00:53 – Beep CEO Joe Moye provides an overview of their service at Yellowstone
• 00:02:01 – Moye provides an overview of Beep
• 00:03:26– There is a service that is independent of the vehicle – they can pick the right vehicle for the right application.
• 00:04:00 – Congestion is a challenge, even in the great outdoors.
• 00:05:38 – The safety operator is an ambassador
• 00:06:59 – The attendant becomes virtual
• 00:07:20 – Could the safety attendant be a tour guide?
• 00:09:51 – A giant mobile billboard with screens on the inside and outside.
• 00:11:14 – And these screens are great advertising vehicles
• 00:12:46 – They will be in mixed traffic. The roads are mapped and, combined with GPS creates a virtual rail. Lidar and other sensors give it eyes.
• 00:15:25 – These are low-speed shuttles (less than 25 MPH)
• 00:16:19 – The average bus speed is something like 12 mph – the vehicles are designed for first and last-mile
• 00:17:45 – Today it is more expensive than traditional shuttles. He sees the expenses flipping in the next four or five years. It is an amenity that is included as part of developments.
• 00:19:14 – Removing the driver is imperative, but there will be new opportunities for remote operators and more.
• 00:20:19 – The command center is where they orchestrate their fleet.
• 00:22:42 – They are working with Verizon in Lake Nona to test the effectiveness of 5G mm-Wave as a communications channel.
• 00:23:36– Security is table stakes for the business. A secure communications channel is mandatory.
• 00:23:55 – Their service is all about the experience.
• 00:25:25 – First responder training is part of their launch process and they are looking at ongoing train-the-trainer programs.
• 00:27:54 – Implementation of Covid safety procedures kept the routes going.
• 00:32:39 – The average route is 6 to 9 minutes.
• 00:33:15 – The vehicles are right-sized for the thin routes. One of the things that separate them from traditional transit is they are able to match supply to required demand on a dynamic basis.
• 00:34:34 – It is an amenity paid for by the developer – really kind of like an extension of a building
• 00:35:38 – It potentially provides an alternative to building as many parking lots/spaces as it the shared-ride approach gets people out of their respective vehicles.
• 00:37:44 – 16k people were moved in the first 7 months of one 1.2 mile route
• 00:38:03 – It is easier working with private developers and developments than municipalities.
• 00:40:30 – Beep, 5G and the Lilium Vertiport; Lake Nona is a community of the future.
• 00:41:14 – What sort of unusual animals have they encountered?
• 00:42:17 – They are part of the NTSHA safety initiative and reporting initiative.
• 00:43:25 – Insurance is necessary and covered by Beep.
• 00:44:23 – How do you deal with bad passenger behavior
• 00:45:56 – The Yellowstone pilot will deploy in late May to August/September 2021
• 00:47:55 – They are working with transit agencies today such as Tampa and St Petersburg. Also, JTA delivered autonomous medicine delivery.
• 00:51:54 – They wanted to be on the front of the wave and deliver real-mobility services today, as opposed to just testing in test tracks.
• 00:53:17 – Accessibility is important going forward. Moye mentions they have ADA-accessible routes. Having attendants on board is important to help those with accessibility issues.