"Navya is honored to have The Henry Ford acquire one of our shuttles as part of its collection of vehicles that played a pivotal role in American history," adds Jérôme Rigaud, chief operating office of Navya. “Sitting alongside early automotive examples like Ford’s quadricycle from 1896, presidential limousines and iconic Americana like a 1950s-era Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the shuttle will be right at home.

“While vehicles like the quadricycle help to tell the story of a time when Americans transitioned from animal powered transportation to engine powered, the shuttle will inform future generations about the era when we transitioned from human-driven transportation to computer driven,” claims Rigaud.

“We’re delighted that one of the Navya shuttles used in [our] driverless shuttle research project has a new home at The Henry Ford,” says Huei Peng, a mechanical engineering professor who serves as director of Mcity. “The historic impact of automated vehicle technology could one day match or exceed that of the automobile itself. The Henry Ford is the ideal place to chronicle that transformation.

“[Our] research focused on how people reacted to the driverless shuttle experience as much as the technology itself,” explains Peng. “Equipped with exterior video recorders, the Mcity shuttles captured reactions from people outside the vehicles, and interior video and audio recorders captured reactions from passengers inside. Mcity staff monitored ridership numbers and patterns throughout the project, and riders were encouraged to complete a survey about their experience.”

The shuttle survey, developed by J.D. Power and Mcity, included questions that ranged from passengers' reasons for riding to their degree of satisfaction with the service, interest level in autonomous vehicle technology, and most significantly, the degree of trust riders had in the shuttle and its driverless capabilities.

“What makes this shuttle so significant is that it’s a story less about technology and more about psychology,” adds Matt Anderson, curator of transportation at The Henry Ford. “Building a working autonomous vehicle is one thing, but getting people to accept it is something else. Mcity is a leader in studying this important side of the self-driving equation.”