Vehicle automation firm expands near southern Denton County

DENTON, Texas — Autonomous Solutions Inc. is more than doubling its office space at AllianceTexas while continuing to test industrial self-driving equipment at a site north of State Highway 114 in southern Denton County, according to an Oct. 13 announcement from developer Hillwood. The company is expanding from 11,097 to 25,806 square feet in Hillwood Commons I at Alliance Town Center in north Fort Worth. Hillwood said more than 100 employees will be based in the enlarged office. The announcement describes an office expansion, not a commitment to add 100 new jobs. Autonomous Solutions develops systems that let industrial fleets operate with less direct driving in construction, agriculture, logistics and landscaping. The nearby AllianceTexas Test Center gives the company space to test and demonstrate equipment under practical conditions. Hillwood says the testing site lets Autonomous Solutions validate equipment in practical scenarios and demonstrate it to customers, partners and investors. The company's Mobius system is designed to coordinate mixed industrial vehicle fleets, according to Hillwood. The office and the testing area sit on opposite sides of the Fort Worth and Denton County area served by AllianceTexas. For southern Denton County, the announcement highlights the role of the Highway 114 corridor in industrial technology testing. It does not say that public roads will be opened to autonomous fleets or that the company will change local traffic operations. Any such deployment would need separate confirmation. Autonomous Solutions CEO Mel Torrie said the combined office and test setting lets the company develop systems and show them to customers in the same area. Hillwood describes the AllianceTexas Test Center as supporting ground and aerial autonomy. Those are the developer's descriptions of its facilities, not an announcement of a new public-road service. Residents can consult Hillwood's project announcement for the company's stated plans. Further details about hiring, testing schedules or public access were not given in the release.