Driverless buses debut in Shenzhen, intelligent transportation is coming
There is no need of a driver, and the steering wheel can move by itself. With the increasingly mature artificial intelligence and various collaborative technologies, intelligent driving is beginning to enter our lives. On December 2nd, at the "2017 China Future New Energy and Intelligent Transportation Forum and New Energy and Intelligent Driving Working Committee Conference," China's first AlphaBus intelligent driving bus, developed by Shenzhen Hailiang Technology, made its global debut and conducted passenger trial operations for the first time on open roads.
Driverless buses
"Welcome aboard the AlphaBus intelligent driving bus. The vehicle has entered intelligent driving mode." Around 10 a.m. on the 2nd, reporters boarded an AlphaBus intelligent driving bus in Futian Bonded Zone to experience intelligent bus. The vehicle exited the parking lot at a speed of less than 40km/h and automatically stopped to pick up passengers at the first stop, Futian Station. After the trial passengers boarded, the vehicle automatically closed its doors and proceeded slowly. At the beginning of the trial, the vehicle was unable to move forward normally due to overcrowding. After some experiential passengers got off, the vehicle began to move normally.
During the reporter's experience, it was noted that the vehicle would react and adjust according to road conditions. When the vehicle reached a turn, the steering wheel would automatically turn to adjust the direction, and it would activate the turn signal in advance when approaching a stop.
During the journey, the vehicle automatically braked or stopped abruptly when it sensed surrounding obstacles. When pedestrians crossed in front of the vehicle, the vehicle would brake suddenly to avoid them.
However, at present, each bus in the trial operation is equipped with a driver to intervene in case of emergency.
According to Hu Jianping, Chairman of Shenzhen Hailiang Technology, the "AlphaBus Intelligent Driving Bus System" is a comprehensive solution based on domestically produced, controllable intelligent driving technology. It integrates artificial intelligence, automatic control, visual computing, and many other technologies. Equipped with equipment such as lidar, millimeter-wave radar, cameras, and GPS antennas to perceive the surrounding environment, it can analyze road conditions in real-time through industrial computers, vehicle controllers, and CAN networks, and react to other road users and sudden situations. It has realized functions such as pedestrian and vehicle detection, deceleration and avoidance, emergency braking, obstacle avoidance, lane changing, and automatic docking at stations under automatic driving. The system's safety, stability, and reliability fully meet the requirements of bus trial operation, and it has both manual and intelligent driving modes, which can be switched according to actual needs.
AlphaBus
In addition to intelligent driving technology, the "AlphaBus Intelligent Driving Bus System" also includes subsystems such as passenger flow statistics and analysis, intelligent dispatching, safety evaluation and emergency response, intelligent charging, and intelligent maintenance.
During the first phase of trial operation, passengers will be invited to experience for free while collecting traffic data, passenger flow data, operation data of the intelligent driving system, and public opinions, further improving and enriching the intelligent driving bus service network, and gradually developing Futian Bonded Zone into a demonstration area for intelligent travel in China. At the same time, the appearance of this system will greatly reduce the labor intensity of bus drivers, enhance the safety of bus operation, effectively solve the problem of difficult recruitment of bus drivers, and comprehensively improve the level of bus service.
It is understood that the "AlphaBus Intelligent Driving Bus System" originates from the China Future New Energy and Intelligent Transportation System (CBSF) demonstration project, initiated by the National Intelligent Transportation System Engineering Technology Research Center (ITSC) and Shenzhen Bus Group, under the guidance of China Electric Vehicle Hundred People Association, Highway Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport, and Urban Passenger Transport Branch of China Road Transport Association, with strong support from Shenzhen Transportation Commission and Futian District People's Government. Shenzhen Bus Group and Hailiang Technology, as the implementing agencies, fully integrate the characteristics of public transportation and the practical needs, combining forward-looking thinking on the development of future intelligent public transportation, develop the "AlphaBus Intelligent Driving Bus System" suitable for the new era of China's characteristics of future new energy and intelligent public transportation demand.
It is reported that both parties will continue to explore the intelligentization of public transportation, build an intelligent public transportation travel ecosystem based on artificial intelligence, and continue to promote the China Future New Energy and Intelligent Transportation System in Southern University of Science and Technology, Guangming District of Shenzhen, and Dapeng New District of Shenzhen, in coordination with the overall planning of the national CBSF project, and land operations in ten demonstration cities nationwide.
About fare and route:
Currently, on the Futian-Baoan route, the fare for three stops is 1 yuan.However, during the trial operation, it is free for invited passengers to experience.
During the trial operation period:The operating hours of the tram are from 9:00 to 18:00.As of now, Shenzhen buses equipped with the AlphaBus intelligent driving bus system have been tested in Guole Technology Park, Southern University of Science and Technology, and Futian Bonded Zone for 4 months, with a cumulative test mileage of about 8000 kilometers. During the trial operation period, it will be officially open for free experience by invited passengers.During the trial operation period, only one route is open: the Futian-Baoan route. There are a total of three stops: Hailiang Station, Shenzhen Bus Station, and Futian Station.
The era of intelligence has arrived, hurry up and experience the brand new travel under the Internet age!