The US Department of Transportation (DoT) is funding the retrofitting of six 10.7m Gillig buses in Ohio with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) from Virginia-based Perrone Robotics.

The vehicle-agnostic kit services agreement is being managed by Neoride, a council of governments representing more than 30 US transit agencies.

The six buses will be retrofitted with Perrone’s Tony ADAS kit. The project is funded through the DoT’s Strengthening Mobility & Revolutionising Transportation (Smart) grant programme.

The upgraded buses will be deployed by three Neoride members – Butler County Regional Transit Authority (BCRTA), Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA) and Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) – bringing driver-assistance capabilities to riders and operators across the region.

The Tony ADAS kit (www.perronerobotics.com/tony-adas-kit) integrates with existing buses, combining sensors with Perrone’s Max autonomy software to provide forward collision avoidance, automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot detection, side-impact alerts, intersection management support, pedestrian protection and data logging.

Under this programme, each bus will be outfitted with forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, warnings and a data logging platform with expandable modules for future features.

By retrofitting rather than replacing vehicles, agencies gain immediate safety benefits while increasing taxpayer value.

“Tony allows transit systems to leap from legacy to leading-edge safety in weeks, not years,” said Paul Perrone, CEO of Perrone Robotics (www.perronerobotics.com). “This Smart grant proves we can deliver collision avoidance, lane keeping and more today, without requiring agencies to purchase new fleets. We’re proud to partner with Neoride, BCRTA, SARTA and WRTA to help make Ohio’s buses among the safest on the road.”

Katherine Conrad, executive director of Neoride (www.neoride.org), added: “Our mission is to bring innovative, cost-effective mobility to the communities we serve. By pooling federal resources, three transit agencies are deploying life-saving ADAS technology at the cost of a retrofit, setting a national standard for modernising fleets and demonstrating the power of regional collaboration.”

Over the course of the project, Perrone will integrate and commission all six buses, train agency staff, and deliver performance data to DoT evaluators. This initiative lays the foundation for broader adoption of Tony ADAS retrofits by additional Neoride members and transit agencies nationwide.