1st public trial of a driverless shuttle wraps up in Calgary

City transportation engineer Colin Chapman said riders had a lot of questions about the vehicle.

"They were interested to see a vehicle that doesn't have a steering wheel, and obviously a bit unsure while they're getting on," Chapman said. 

"There were some concerns with security and what if it were to be hacked, and that kind of concern was built into the vehicle — it's a one-way connection, so unless you're the operator itself that can't happen."

The project was a collaboration between the University of Calgary, a number of companies from different industries, and three levels of government.

It uses a combination of high-accuracy satellite navigation and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which detects objects or people in the vehicle's path.

Chapman said the shuttle project is now being tested in Edmonton, and the team involved with the project in Calgary will be bringing a report to the federal government in early 2019.