GILLIG and RR.AI, a developer of autonomous mobility solutions, have entered into a development agreement for next-generation advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle (AV) technology for GILLIG transit buses in North America.

This partnership will combine RR.AI’s vehicle automation experience and GILLIG’s transit operations expertise to produce state- of-the-art safety and performance capabilities.

The companies will develop and test safety features such as automatic emergency braking, precision docking, and bus yard automation in addition to blind spot detection and pedestrian avoidance. While commonly used in passenger vehicles, many of these features have not been widely deployed thus far on heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

Additionally, the companies will develop automated driving capabilities which can be deployed for select in-service operations or in the transit depot to help manage electric vehicle charging and reduce vehicle damage.

Henry Crown and Company, which owns GILLIG as well as other transportation businesses, made a strategic investment in Robotic Research, RR.AI’s parent company, as part of the company’s $228-million Series-A funding announced last month.