BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — The city of Boca Raton will introduce its first autonomous shuttle service during this month while making its safety systems accessible to the public and allowing them to interact with development teams.
The City, working with Guident, Circuit, and Auve Tech, is hosting a community launch for “MiCa” on Friday, Nov. 21 at 4:00 p.m. outside The Studio at Mizner Park, 201 Plaza Real.
The event organizers state that the event has no entrance fee and welcomes all attendees. The demonstration plan includes testing MiCa at Mizner Park by performing short rides and operating the control system to check the real-time monitoring capabilities. The staff members together with their partners will remain at the location to handle any questions which may arise. There’s pizza, too.
The program places strong emphasis on safety measures and monitoring procedures. The Teleoperation Booth allows visitors to observe how human operators use remote control to monitor and operate on-road shuttles. The GuideOn platform shows real-time video streams which illustrate how operational data enables real-time activities. There’s also a look at WatchBot™, an autonomous inspection and security robot used alongside the mobility system.
The launch of the new service aligns with smart-mobility initiatives which focus on clean energy and connected streets and user-friendly downtown transportation systems according to city officials and their business partners. The demonstration route has a limited length because it provides new users with basic experience of the vehicle and its technology before the shuttle service extends to longer routes.
Boca Post first reported on MiCa’s downtown pilot on Aug. 13, including the City Council’s approval and a plan for a 12-month test led by Boca-based Guident with Circuit and Auve Tech. The proposed route spans 2.6 miles between Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place through a 0.6-mile loop in Mizner Park before it expands through multiple subsequent phases. MiCa’s SAE Level 4 capabilities under defined conditions and Auve Tech’s deployments overseas and in U.S. pilots such as Jacksonville and West Palm Beach.
The launch on Friday provides residents with a quick way to check upcoming operations in their area and access safety information and learn about the combination of remote monitoring with on-board systems. Guident demonstrates through its platform how it identifies problems and assists operators. The BocaCONNECT shuttle service operates under Circuit which will merge the new transportation system with existing curbside operations in downtown Boca Raton. Auve Tech brings the vehicle itself — an eight-seat, fully electric shuttle designed and built in Estonia.
The main attraction for families consists of taking the robot shuttle while operating a few buttons in the teleop demo and observing video feeds from the operations center. The policy community should view this as a possible vision for a connected downtown area with lower emissions when the pilot program achieves its expected results.
Event details: The MiCa launch will take place on Friday November 21 at 4:00 p.m. at 201 Plaza Real which is located in front of The Studio at Mizner Park. The event included public demo rides as well as technology booths and partner meet-and-greets and Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza provided free pizza. The event is free to attend.
For more on how to navigate Mizner — including garage locations and dining options — see our full Mizner Park guide.
