STARKVILLE, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Mississippi State University (MSU) will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the university’s new electric-autonomous shuttle system on Friday, September 20.

Officials from Beep Inc., the new system’s provider, along with representatives from the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), will join MSU President Mark E. Keenum for this first-of-its-kind vehicle deployment in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Mississippi.

Two Beep shuttles, which will seat up to 11 passengers, including an attendant, will hold testing and training runs the week of September 23 before officially beginning two routes transporting riders between the campus’s core, key housing locations and popular entertainment destinations.

“While these are equipped with AI-enabled remote human supervision and self-governance, they also have an in-person attendant and won’t travel on roads allowing more than 25 miles per hour,” said MSU’s Executive Director of Transportation Jeremiah Dumas.

Beep, Inc. is expected to provide MSU the vehicles throughout the tentative pilot period of September 23 to November 30.

“For Mississippi State to lead in applying this type of technology is expected because we’re already a national and global leader in the research realm of unmanned and autonomous vehicles,” stated Dumas.

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