The Mines Rover was launched in Fall 2021 as the first phase of the largest deployment of low-speed autonomous electric shuttles in the U.S. This pilot program ended in December 2021 after four months of testing and service.

In a message to the Mines community in January 2022, Mines officials thanked project partners EasyMile and the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance for bringing AV technology to the Mines campus.

“The Mines community has reason to be proud of our involvement in this innovative project. Since August 2021, our campus has shown that people are willing and excited to experience novel technology – but that moving beyond novelty requires meeting high expectations for reliability and usefulness,” said Gary Bowersock, associate vice president for infrastructure and operations.

“We want to thank all of you for your enthusiasm and feedback related to the Mines Rover last semester. It was incredibly valuable in helping to identify the limitations that both the technology and operation models will have to overcome to provide the kind of reliable transportation service that people will expect from these systems in the years to come.”