10th April, 2017
Singapore is to carry out trial for driverless public buses by 2020, following the signing of a partnership agreement between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and ST Kinetics.
LTA’s Chief Technology Officer Lam Shann said on Monday that in the longer term, it is envisaged that the trial could realise the operation of autonomous public buses in Singapore to enhance intra-town travel.
Under the agreement, two 40-seater electric buses will be deployed and tested in various locations including the National University of Singapore (NUS) as well as Jurong Island.
LTA said the buses will use a satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) and a suite of sensors to scan and determine their location and immediate surroundings.
“The buses will also have radars and sonars that are able to detect other vehicles and pedestrians up to 200m ahead,” LTA said.
ST Kinetics is also working to improve the autonomous buses’ ability to navigate in heavier rain conditions, up from the current 10mm per hour to 30mm per hour.
The initial testing will be conducted during off-peak periods at an industrial area where the road infrastructure is less complex.
LTA said that Singapore’s need for high-capacity vehicles to address commuters’ peak-hour demands presents an opportunity for companies such as ST Kinetics to develop autonomous buses.
He said that it was in line with the whole-of-government effort to explore and apply smart technologies to improve Singaporeans’ lives.
“We are excited to partner ST Kinetics to develop autonomous electric buses, that if successfully deployed, will benefit commuters and greatly change the way we travel,” Lam said.