This is a first of its kind development in the Emirates where similar shuttles have been tested in different cities.

On the path towards a smart future, the UAE has boarded the smart mobility bandwagon to ensure that people could move around swiftly within cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which are already bustling with residents headed to the high-tech hubs in search of new opportunities along with a better lifestyle. Organisations like Dubai's road transport authority have accelerated the progress towards this goal, by deploying AI to map out routes for buses and predict traffic snarls so that they can be prevented preemptively.

On the other hand sky pods hanging from tracks, as well as electric scooters are being touted as ways to get around congestion on the road in other Emirati cities, while electric helicopters are also expected to glide into the skyline in the near future. As self-driving vehicles for the daily commute are being tested at the Yas park in Abu Dhabi among other locations, a firm called ION has already rolled out autonomous shuttles for public use,in a first-of-its-kind initiative for the Emirates.

Focusing on tourists between Fairmont and Coral Beach hotels in Ajman, the self-driving transportation service will be guided forward by 3D vision, along with IoT sensors as well as automated route planning. These wagons will also have the capacity to recognise their environment, and will enhance safety as well as convenience of travelers through doors with motion sensors.

Designed for sustainability by ensuring zero emissions, the shuttle also provides access to wheelchair-bound people, and receives data from traffic signals to scan the surroundings. Using the smart surveillance mechanism, the shuttle is able to safely transport about 15 passengers at a time.

Before rolling out a service for the public, ION had a successful pilot phase in Sharjah, after which it has been serving students on campus there. Autonomous vehicles manufactured by the firm are also supplied to French firm Navya, which already operates driverless shuttles in 22 countries.