>> ERIC: AN AUTONOMOUS, OR SELF-DRIVING, VEHICLE PROGRAM IN GRAND RAPIDS IS SOON EXPANDING BEYOND ITS INITIAL 18-MONTH PILOT.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE GOMARTI ON-DEMAND SHUTTLE SERVICE RECEIVED A $9.3 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS.

MNDOT AND OTHERS ARE STUDYING THE NEW TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING FOR SAFETY.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO ITASCA COUNTY RECENTLY TO FIND OUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

♪♪ >> Kaomi: RETIRED TEACHER HARVEY HITELA HAS LIVED AT AN ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENCE IN GRAND RAPIDS FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.

HE USED TO LIVE IN A BIG HOUSE WITH A SAUNA AND A FOUR-CAR GARAGE.

>> POLIO IS A KIND F STRANGE THING ALSO.

POST-POLIO SYNDROME HAPPENS AT ROUGHLY MIDDLE AGE.

>> Kaomi: THESE DAYS HE GETS AROUND ON HIS WHEELCHAIR AND BY CALLING A SELF-DRIVING, OR AUTONOMOUS, VEHICLE CALLED GOMARTI.

>> THIS IS HARVEY, I'M CALLING FOR A GOMARTI RIDE, THE AREA CODE IS 55744.

>> Kaomi: BY CALLING OR USING AN APP, HE CAN SCHEDULE A PICKUP RIGHT TO HIS FRONT DOOR.

>> IT WILL PICK YOU UP ON DEMAND WITHIN BOUT TEN MINUTES.

IT IS ACTUALLY DRIVERLESS CARS EXCEPT THERE IS AN ATTENDANT AND THE ATTENDANT CAN TAKE OVER THE DRIVING AND DOES DO THAT AT TIMES.

>> Kaomi: 86 YEARS OLD, HARVEY.

DID YOU EVER THINK YOU'D BE IN A SELF-DRIVING CAR?

>> NO.

I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE 86 YEARS OLD.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT NEED SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE PLACES THEY NEED TO GO.

AND AT MAY MOBILITY, WE BELIEVE THAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES WILL BE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.

>> Kaomi: JOHN IS THE SIGHT MANAGER FOR MAY MOBILE, THE COMPANY BEHIND GOMARTI, IT HAS A FLEET OF FIVE TOYOTA ARS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE ROADS IN GRAND RAPIDS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS.

THERE'S ROOM FOR MULTIPLE PASSENGERS AND WHEELCHAIRS.

WHILE IN SELF-DRIVING MODE, THE CARS CAN DETECT OTHER VEHICLES AROUND THEM.

>> THE TECHNOLOGY WE'VE GOT IN THE VANS, WE'VE GOT LASER VIEW, VISUAL CAMERAS AND RADAR.

WE'RE DEVELOPING THESE AS SAFETY FEATURES THAT CAN BE EVEN SAFER THAN HUMAN DRIVERS.

ALSO WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S CALLED MULTIPOLICY DECISION MAKING IN THE VEHICLES, WE'RE ABLE TO RUN A SIMULATION MANY TIMES EVERY SECOND THAT CAN PREDICT THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN AND HOPEFULLY MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE EVEN SAFER THAN HUMAN DRIVERS.

>> Kaomi: SAFER THAN HUMANS.

IT'S A BOLD STATEMENT, BUT HE SAYS HUMANS MAKE MISTAKES.

SPEED AND SOMETIMES GET DISTRACTED.

HE SAYS CARS WITH DRIVER-ASSIST FEATURES ARE ALREADY USING SOME OF THE SAME TECHNOLOGY.

THE GOMARTI IS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.

AUTONOMOUS DRIVING AND AN OPERATOR WHO CAN TAKE OVER WHEN NEEDED.

THIS YEAR ALONE YOU SAID 6,000 RIDES.

>> YEAH.

>> Kaomi: WHAT HAS BEEN THE ACCIDENT RATE?

>> WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ACCIDENTS IN AUTONOMY.

SO WE'VE SAFELY OPERATED THROUGH THE SNOWIEST WINTER ON RECORD IN MINNESOTA WITHOUT HAVING ACCIDENTS.

WE'VE BEEN REAR-ENDED A COUPLE OF TIMES.

IT WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SELF-DRIVING PART OF THE CAR.

>> Kaomi: HE TOOK US FOR A TEST RIDE.

>> O WE'RE IN SELF-DRIVING MODE NOW.

>> Kaomi: NOW THIS JUST HAPPENED RIGHT HERE.

SO IF YOU TOOK CONTROL TO GO AROUND?

>> YES.

THERE'S A GARBAGE TRUCK IN OUR WAY.

THE CENTER OF THE ROAD, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO GO OVER THAT CENTER IN ORDER TO GO AROUND HIM.

>> Kaomi: IN OTHER WORDS, SWERVE AROUND IT.

SOMETHING THE GOMARTI WOULD NOT DO ON THEIR OWN.

STATE LEADERS SAY THIS CAR IS THE FUTURE.

ABOUT HALF OF THE FUNDING CAME FROM DONORS, THE BLANDIN, IRRRB KICKED BE IN THE REST.

IT'S A CHANCE TO TEST THE TECHNOLOGY.

>> WE'RE LOOKING AT POLICY CHANGES AND OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY IMPACT WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS ABOUT T. SO WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN FROM THE COMMUNITIES ON WHAT THEY THINK THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED FOR.

>> Kaomi: SOME SAY THE PILOT IS A PRECURSOR TO FULLY DRIVERLESS CARS IN THE STATE ONE DAY.

>> THE CURRENT MINNESOTA LAW IS UNCLEAR, SO THE CURRENT INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW FOR MINNESOTA REQUIRES A DRIVER BEHIND THE WHEEL.

>> Kaomi: SOME HIGH-PROFILE EXAMPLES, LIKE THE GM CRUISE, ARE CAUTIONARY.

IN OCTOBER, A DRIVERLESS CAR RAN OVER AND CRITICALLY INJURED A PEDESTRIAN IN SAN FRANCISCO.

THE AUTO MAKER HAS PULLED ITS FLEET AND IS NOW FACING GOVERNMENT PROBES.

HOWEVER, THE GOMARTI IS A RESEARCH PILOT.

SHELTON HAS BEEN PART OF A TEAM EVALUATING IT.

>> I THINK IT'S PROBABLY TOO EARLY TO TELL IN MOST CASES OR TO SAY DEFINITIVELY THAT THESE THINGS ARE -- THESE VEHICLES ARE SAFER ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

BUT I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO SEE DIFFERENT USE CASES AND DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT ULTIMATELY ARE REALLY BENEFICIAL.

>> Kaomi: MAY MOBILITY CURRENTLY OPERATES SEVERAL OF THESE PILOTS NATIONWIDE.

IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, "ALMANAC" FOUND ONE POLICE INCIDENT REPORT FROM A YEAR AGO.

A RIDER WAS ALLEGEDLY INJURED AFTER THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABRUPT STOP.

HE WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT.

MANY LOCALS IN GRAND RAPIDS, HOWEVER, ARE ALREADY WON OVER.

MYRNA PETERSON USES THE GOMARTI SEVERAL TIMES DAILY.

RIDES ARE FREE AND SHE CAN NOW GET AROUND DURING THE EVENING.

>> PEOPLE THAT ARE MOBILITY CHALLENGED, WE HAVE A GREAT TRANSIT SYSTEM DURING THE DAY, BUT IT'S NOT AS AVAILABLE WHERE, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU'RE RIGHT DOWNTOWN, AFTER 5:00 P.M., AND LIMITED ON THE WEEKEND.

>> Kaomi: BUT NOT EVERYONE'S HAPPY.

THE LOCAL TAXI COMPANY WAS ALREADY JUST BREAKING EVEN.

ITS OWNER SAYS WITH GOVERNMENT-FUNDED COMPETITION, IT MAY GO OUT OF BUSINESS.

>> WITH GOMARTI, THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO COMPETE AGAINST THAT.

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