Autonomous Systems has unveiled SmartDEPOT™, an autonomous system that allows buses to move independently within depots — for washing, charging, maintenance, and parking — without a driver on board. Designed to meet the challenges of high-traffic depots, SmartDEPOT transforms autonomy from a simple demonstration into a daily deployment, delivering measurable savings and safety improvements.
“Busworld is where our industry moves from demonstration to deployment. SmartDEPOT™ now enables driverless depot operations on a daily basis, creating capacity, enhancing safety, and reducing costs,” says Jan Gramatyka, Director of Business Development at Autonomous Systems.
Why focus on the depot?
Autonomy on public roads starts in chaos — unlike in depots. Access is controlled by gates, movements are repetitive, and there are no passengers on board. It is the ideal environment to work autonomously, safely and profitably from day one.
Proven results operators can rely on
- €88,000 in labor savings per bus over 12 years
- 35 minutes saved per bus per day, equivalent to about one extra month of service per year
- Approximately three times fewer minor collisions per week in an average depot
- For 100 smart buses: €8.8 million in savings and over 1,700 driving hours recovered each month — equivalent to adding 12 electric buses with drivers, funded by replacing standard buses with smart ones
What makes it ready to deploy
- 360° perception with redundancy, suitable for both indoor and outdoor operations
- No major infrastructure changes — works in any depot with a low entry barrier from the first vehicle
- LIDAR-based safety, minimizing blind spots and minor depot incidents
Available to OEMs — here and now (Europe)
SmartDEPOT is available for OEM integration in Europe, designed to interface with drive-by-wire platforms and depot systems. It’s the first and only ready-to-deploy depot autonomy package for OEMs — not an R&D demonstrator.
SmartDEPOT™ Mission Control serves as the command center for smart buses, offering a single view of the depot, vehicles, and washing/charging/parking missions. It adapts to changing conditions to ensure operations end smoothly, with the fleet fully prepared for departure the next morning.