Boca Life

Boca Raton Introduces ‘Driverless’ Downtown Shuttle: Take a Ride With Us

by
Daniel Nee
December 1, 2025

Boca Raton has reached a milestone in the introduction of its autonomous shuttle program, first introduced as a concept in May as part of an agreement with Guident, an autonomous vehicle tech startup that is based in the Boca Raton Innovation Campus.

The MiCa autonomous vehicle, powered by Guident software, poised to be launched in Dec. 2025 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Officials held a ceremonial launch event prior to the Thanksgiving holiday in Mizner Park, where the shuttle service will begin within a few weeks. The initial route will connect stops in Mizner Park to Royal Palm Place, however officials hope the service will eventually be able to expand to a wider swath of the downtown corridor and – long term – even to attractions such as the beach or city parks. Florida Atlantic University is also considering a similar partnership for transportation near its campus.

The autonomous driving concept “builds on our local experience here, it builds on our partnership with the city, and Boca’s emphasis on innovation,” said Alex Esposito, CEO of Circuit Transit, which provides the existing Boca Connect shuttle service.

The service as a whole is rooted in the partnership of Circuit, which organizes the shuttle service; Guident, which powers the autonomous and remote-driving software and robotics; and MiCA, the physical vehicle that will take riders around a continuous 2.6-mile loop beginning sometime in December, officials said.

Boca Raton selected the MiCa autonomous vehicle for the service, an electric-powered small shuttle bus first developed by engineers at the University of Tallin, in Estonia’s capital city. It is now manufactured by Estonian company Auve Tech. The same shuttle is currently being utilized on routes in several northern European cities, and has found a niche in the American market in Florida, where it has been tapped for autonomous shuttle services in Jacksonville and West Palm Beach. Guident, which provides the software, also has Estonian roots but is based in Boca Raton. It has licensed its software in Europe and Japan, and hopes to become one of the first truly autonomous operators in America directly in its backyard in Boca Raton.

The MiCa bus fits eight passengers, offers aesthetically-pleasing mood lighting, comfortable seats, and LCD screens that offer both route maps and infotainment. A human operator will initially be on board each shuttle, and a remote operator – who can “pop in” electronically on the screen to say hello – can offer assistance from afar.

The MiCa autonomous vehicle, powered by Guident software, poised to be launched in Dec. 2025 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Boca Raton officials have said they favor a rapid expansion plan, but must first meet federal guidelines and prove the concept can be successfully and safely deployed. Both the city and Guident are hoping Boca Raton can be an integral part of what will be an intricate path to full autonomous approval.

In the United States, there are four levels of autonomous vehicle permitting, with the highest being a fully autonomous vehicle with no human being in control, transporting people within mixed traffic. Boca Raton’s pilot program, run by Guident, will have a “safety operator” on board for human supervision, but can also be controlled remotely from the company’s control center. Guident staffers use Xbox video game controllers to navigate around any issues – a simple solution similar to the U.S. Navy’s adoption of the same controllers for submarine periscope operations after it was determined that sailors were more familiar and more comfortable with them rather than a more complicated proprietary device.

“When we start phase one, get the data and get the results, we will quickly get to phase two or phase three,” said Harald Braun, Chairman and CEO of Guident, when the proposal was first presented to the city.

The Mizner Park phase of the future Boca Raton autonomous shuttle program. (Credit: Boca Raton CRA)

Phases two and three of the future Boca Raton autonomous shuttle program. (Credit: Boca Raton CRA)

The MiCa autonomous vehicle, powered by Guident software, poised to be launched in Dec. 2025 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The vehicles travel at a maximum speed of 25 m.p.h. and, once federal permits are in-hand, can operate fully autonomously with a suite of ten 360-degree cameras and seven laser-based sensor systems which also have 360-degree coverage. Robotics engineers at the launch told Boca Daily News that the sensor systems in the vehicles, powered by Guident’s software, differ from those in commercial automotive applications such as Tesla. They are not necessarily cameras, but instead multi-dimensional systems that incorporate laser technology for distance accuracy as well as imaging infrared sensors that can essentially “remember” what certain corners, street signs, pavement types and traffic lights look like. They stop the vehicle for jay-walkers, navigate obstacles, and jockey safely for their positions in traffic. The vehicles, of course, are air conditioned for comfort in South Florida.

“Globally, we have several programs on the way, with the biggest one in Japan,” said Braun. “There are 19 of those vehicles running in different locations.”

Boca Raton officials hatched an agreement with the providers earlier this year. The $22,000 monthly cost during the pilot will include passenger service, federal permitting work, vehicle insurance, charging equipment, and electrician labor. The city will store the vehicles on its property.

“We’re not going to be providing a lot of transportation to a lot of people in that [pilot] period, but that is fine since it eases the time … to get to phases two and three,” said Councilman Andy Thompson.

The MiCa autonomous vehicle, powered by Guident software, poised to be launched in Dec. 2025 in Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The initial route between Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place will likely run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with some period reserved for vehicle charging. If the program is expanded, a larger fleet will ensure there are no charging interruptions as the vehicles will be swapped during charging periods.

Phase one is the small loop around Mizner Park, while the second phase will loop further down to Palmetto Park Road, behind Sanborn Square and back. The third phase would take the autonomous vehicles deeper into the downtown sector south of Royal Palm Place to the southern terminus of SE Mizner Boulevard. Final service could run to any number of locations, including the city’s Tri-Rail station or the beach. The Boca Raton Innovation Campus is also interested in its own leg of such a system, where 11 stops could established, as well as the aforementioned potential for an FAU partnership.