Perrone Robotics and Roush Advance Autonomous Vehicle Scaled Production Program
Repeatable, best-in-class process will support Perrone's global large-scale deployments
Perrone Robotics, Inc. ("Perrone"), a leading provider of fully autonomous vehicle (AV) technology and turnkey vehicle solutions for the mobility of people and things™, announced today that Roush Industries ("Roush") has completed the first phase of a successful TONY® - AV, fully autonomous, zero-emissions, electric shuttle integration. The new prototype will be the model for a large-volume production process that will allow Perrone's TONY AV-Retrofit kit to be easily integrated into existing vehicle models at scale. This marks a significant milestone in the automotive industry and showcases the robust capabilities of Perrone's TONY AV platform (see below) to convert any vehicle - shuttle, cargo, transit, into a full level of autonomy. The value and benefit of Perrone's TONY AV platform is that the AV technology integration does not compromise any of the existing features that come off the manufacturer production line - i.e., FMVSS and ADA compliant certifications, zero-emissions, vehicle rider comfort, etc. With that flexibility, the entire AV integration process can be delivered in a reduced time frame - a crucial factor in bringing AV deployment costs down and facilitates larger-scale AV deployments across existing and new fleets. Customers will now be able to accelerate their path toward safe, reliable autonomous vehicle deployments with cost-effective options that leverage existing transit and transportation operations.
Last summer, Roush and Perrone signed an agreement to collaborate on a repeatable, best-in-class AV production process to scale Perrone's TONY AV - Retrofit kit for new and existing customer fleet deployments. Perrone chose Roush as a partner due to Roush's exemplary capabilities for rapid, reliable, and repeatable outfitting across a wide range of vehicle types. With close to fifty years in automotive excellence, Roush brings expertise across production design, product development, and quality assurance. In less than six months, the Perrone/Roush teams are underway to provide a substantial AV pipeline for transit, transportation, and cargo applications. Phase II has already commenced, with the companies continuing to collaborate and identify efficiencies as the system integration matures from prototype to production readiness.
The TONY AV Retrofit Kit
TONY (short for "TO Navigate You") is a vehicle-independent retrofit kit for use in the automated transit of people and goods in geo-fenced and localized operations. TONY embeds inside any vehicle type (or model) for any transit and transportation application providing a complete "artificial driver" solution that brings full autonomy in a safety certifiable framework.
"The success of our relationship with Roush and their capabilities to execute a world-class production integration opens the pathway for the mass production of Perrone's TONY AV kit into large, medium, and small transit and cargo vehicles," stated Paul Perrone, founder and CEO, Perrone Robotics, Inc. "Having this capability is especially important for our North American, Asian, and European customers in the transit and transportation sector. This prototype signifies the power of our TONY AV-Retrofit kit's flexibility to easily integrate into any manufactured vehicle without a complete re-engineering. By mid-2022, the Perrone, Roush production process will come online to advance our AV pipeline for large-scale deployments across commercial, private, and municipal sectors."
"Roush is honored to support Perrone Robotics' efforts to enhance vehicle safety by developing innovative autonomous driving technologies. Leveraging Roush's extensive product development expertise will be key to quickly advancing the vehicle integration process from individual custom build operations to repeatable, best-in-class production." Steve Wesoloski, Roush Business Development Manager.
For past news on the Perrone Robotics, Roush collaboration, please see the release from last summer - link here.
Interested in autonomous vehicle deployments and integration?
Contact: sales@perronerobotics.com.
For more information on the TONY AV-Retrofit kit, please visit our product pages.
About Perrone Robotics, Inc.
Perrone is a leading provider of fully automated vehicle systems. The company delivers mobility excellence via TONY® (short for "TO Navigate You"), a vehicle independent retrofit kit for use in the automated transit of people and goods in geo-fenced and localized operations. TONY embeds inside any vehicle type or model, for any job application to provide a complete "artificial driver" solution that brings full autonomy in a safety certifiable framework. Proven, piloted, and in commercial production, Perrone automated systems help commercial, municipal, and governmental customers increase transportation efficiencies, enhance safety, and accelerate zero-emission electric vehicle deployment. The company also offers a portfolio of existing turnkey automated shuttles and vehicles pre-integrated with the TONY AV-Retrofit kit. Learn more @ www.perronerobotics.com or follow us @perronerobotics.
About Roush:
For almost 50 years, Roush has been widely recognized for providing innovative engineering, testing, prototyping and manufacturing services to the advanced mobility, aerospace, defense and theme park industries. Roush is unique in its ability to leverage services across the complete product development cycle, solving customers' most complex challenges and accelerating critical product launch targets.