STEER Brings AV Technology to Dallas to Test Autonomous Valet Services at DFW Airport

This monumental collaboration achieves an industry-first milestone in the adoption of autonomous vehicle applications at a major transportation hub by connecting individual passenger vehicles with an established, interconnected AV management ecosystem.

COLUMBIA, Md., April 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- STEER Tech, an autonomous vehicle technology company, announced today that it was awarded funding under the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Automated Vehicles Program to develop a cutting-edge testbed at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) that will demonstrate a comprehensive automated parking ecosystem.

In partnership with DFW, STEER Tech will integrate its existing autonomous vehicle technology to create the most advanced live autonomous ecosystem. The demonstration will consist of three subsystems: low-speed vehicle automation for automated valet parking, supervisory parking management for autonomous vehicles, and active digital curb management. These three interconnected subsystems aim to provide a solution to the overutilized and heavily congested curbside drop-off and pick-up areas at DFW caused by the rise of air travel and increased use of ride-hailing services when fully implemented.

"The [autonomous vehicle] tests fit into the airport team's focus on efficient mobility throughout the airport, including the dropoff curb and parking," Paul Puopolo, the executive vice president of innovation at the DFW International Airport. Puopolo said this project will help the airport prepare for the new technology. 

"Auto-valet services create a win-win scenario for travelers, employees, airport operations, and sustainability when effectively coordinated with a curb management process," Anuja Sonalker, CEO of STEER Tech. "For DFW and other airports to maximize the benefits of auto-valet services, the automated technology must be integrated with a curbside management system such as the one this demonstration will use."

In an industry-leading move and in the interest of interoperability with other systems, STEER will 'open-source' the data interfaces such that any vendor may participate, subject to common interface standards in the future. The goal of such a groundbreaking move is to keep the airport stakeholders and customers at the center of the experience.

STEER Tech and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport look forward to the implementation of this revolutionary automated vehicle ecosystem and the enhanced customer experience, increased parking capacity, more effective traffic management, and the other benefits it will provide.

About Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) is one of the most frequently visited superhub airports in the world. Centered between owner cities Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport also serves as a major job generator for the North Texas region by connecting people through business and leisure travel. For more information, visit the DFW website or download the DFW Mobile App for iOS and Android devices.

About STEER Tech

STEER Tech is the leading automated vehicle company engineering innovative solutions to mobility issues faced by enterprises and consumers. STEER develops autonomous technology for passenger and commercial vehicles that can be applied to parking, low-speed driving, first and last-mile delivery, vehicle maintenance, fleet operations, and other custom use cases. With its growing network of autonomous transfer hubs for fleet and delivery companies and mapped points of interest for consumers, STEER continues to create an ecosystem of users and infrastructures that benefit from space and time efficiency, reduced costs, enhanced user experiences, and new revenue. Visit STEER's website to see the technology in action and explore the benefits of vehicle automation.

Contact: 
Christina Roderick 
240-844-3577 
[email protected]

SOURCE STEER Tech