PlanetM, an initiative of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and a multi-sector partnership, is helping address mobility challenges in Michigan as part of their work to develop and deploy mobility technologies for the future.

PlanetM announced last week that it is providing grants to five startups that will pilot solutions to accessibility and transportation challenges across the state.

Bedestrian, based in Ann Arbor, is one of the grant recipients. Working with Beaumont Health and with the support of DENSO, a CMF corporate member, Bedestrian plans to deploy an autonomous (self-driving) drug delivery robot to transport prescription drugs from the Beaumont Hospital’s pharmacy lab to the hospital’s cancer center. The pilot is set to launch in late 2019.

Shadi Mere, CEO of Bedestrian, recently told the Detroit Driven publication that the company hopes to use the robots for more projects that will better support our aging population by delivering medical supplies to homes.

The other startup projects receiving support include an autonomous shuttle service at Oakland University, a secure prescription drug delivery system for rural homes in Battle Creek, an accessible autonomous shuttle to improve transportation services for those who may have disabilities in the area around the Detroit Medical Center and a software-based GPS receiver for autonomous vehicles.

“We’re proud to support projects that have a meaningful impact in our communities, and that serve as a model for mobility startups and corporations globally,” Trevor Pawl, group vice president of PlanetM said. “Providing funding – whether to pilot programs and their partners or for testing opportunities – helps new ideas come to fruition, as well as connecting these companies with the state’s ideal ecosystem.”

We continue to see growth in Michigan’s mobility sector as our state further positions itself as a global leader in mobility and autonomous vehicle development, research and testing.

PlanetM shares that our state has:

• The largest deployment of freeway and surface street Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) technology in the U.S. V2I is wireless communication that enables the sharing of location, speed and direction between vehicles and infrastructure.

• About 120 miles of smart corridors that use cameras, sensors and the “power of big data to help drivers stay safer, avoid construction and spend less time in traffic.”

• More than 500 miles of roadway equipped for connected vehicle testing by 2020.

More than 4,400 hours of testing have already been done at Mcity, a partner in PlanetM. Mcity is a state-of-the-art controlled testing facility for the performance and safety of connected and automated vehicles at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex.

Mcity opened in 2015 as the result of a public-private partnership and is supported by dozens of partners including several CMF corporate members: DENSO, Ford and General Motors.

Mcity’s latest numbers show that more than $26.5 million has been invested in Mcity research, development and deployment projects. The facility is working with nearly 60 industry partners to collaborate on future mobility solutions.