Driven by technological advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, connectivity and sustainable mobility, autonomous buses are a reality in many contexts where their application is viable and efficient. The potential of the technology is a clear theme and has been widely discussed over the last two decades, due to various factors such as reducing accidents, increasing operating cost efficiency, improving the efficiency of public transport, reducing environmental impact and offering mobility solutions for increasingly congested urban areas.
Due to the implementation of the General Safety Regulation (GSR II) in the European Union, with the aim of reducing traffic accidents and paving the way for fully autonomous vehicles, autonomous vehicles are getting closer to becoming a viable reality on the streets and highways of developed countries [1].
In order to guarantee the necessary safety in autonomous systems, data reliability is fundamental. To this end, it is essential to implement electronic architecture technologies that are responsible for sensor redundancy, preventing isolated failures from damaging the perception of the environment. ISO 26262 is the standard responsible for this international standardization and security. While there are other standards that regulate the levels of vehicle automation, such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classification, which defines six levels, from 0 (no automation) to 5 (full automation) [2].
The article is an up-to-date analysis of the challenges and opportunities for implementing this technology in urban public transport vehicles, identifying the main obstacles and possible solutions. It also discusses the regulatory and technical aspects, seeking to understand how the project can be developed in a safe and beneficial way for the population. Through an approach that considers the status quo of current technologies and challenges so that autonomous buses can, in fact, become a reality in public transportation.