On October 16, 2024, the University of Stuttgart's Vaihingen campus hosted an exciting event, “Insights into MobiLab,” where attendees got a first-hand look at a new cutting-edge technology: an autonomous e-scooter. From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., visitors were invited to see how this autonomously driving e-scooter, developed as part of the MobiLab project, could revolutionize campus mobility.
The e-scooter, developed by the Institute for Systems Theory and Automatic Control (IST), can autonomously navigate the test field on campus and follow a desired path. This technology is designed to make transportation around campus more efficient and sustainable, contributing to the university's goal of a zero-emission campus. One of its features is the ability to autonomously redistribute itself after use, reducing the total number of e-scooters needed and simplifying maintenance.
Additionally, the e-scooter can charge wirelessly, thanks to an inductive charging station prototype developed by the Institute for Electrical Energy Conversion (IEW). This allows the e-scooter to recharge without plugging in — a step toward fully autonomous operation.
The event provided a casual setting where attendees could combine a walk with their lunch break, watch the e-scooter in action, and learn more about its technology.
MobiLab is supported by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and Arts, and represents a significant step toward sustainable and intelligent transportation solutions at the University of Stuttgart. We thank our team members Felix Brändle, Nathan Gerber, Jan Kautz, David Meister, Marc Seidel, and Robin Strässer.