 |
| One of the light buses being tested |
People are expected to flock to Fairview Park in Yuen Long on Aug. 31 to be among the first to ride the driver-less electric mini bus which will undergo seven months of tests.
The units of the autonomous light bus promise a smooth experiene
along the 2.5km loop road in the housing estate.
The light buses use an autonomous
driving system developed by Hong Kong’s Automotive Platforms & Application
Systems R&D Centre, featuring an artificial intelligence (AI) system that
replaces human drivers, a government announcement said.
 |
| Basahin ang detalye! |
“We slow down the bus
for the speed bumps in a very smooth manner so that the people who ride on it
will feel very comfortable. And apart from that, when the vehicle is parked or
moved into the bus stop, we ensure that it is parked as close as possible to
the bus stop. For a normal driver, it is easy, but for the autonomous vehicle,
we need to do a lot of adjustments to do it that way,” said Lawrence Cheung,
chief executive officer of the center.
The light buses each have 15 radars and recognition cameras
installed to gather real-time data about their surroundings.
These sensors are mated by the AI system to self-built
high-definition electronic maps and image processing technology to analyze road
conditions and achieve precise positioning.
Additionally, 5G technology is used to monitor the vehicle’s
condition in real time through smart lampposts.
The center has been developing and testing the system for
two years, including road tests on the Mainland for initial vehicle safety and
reliability, which led to the trial run in Fairview Park.
“In Fairview Park, I think the road itself is very suitable
for doing autonomous vehicle (AV) testing, because the road is quite wide and
it has a lot of speed bumps. So the average speed of cars on the road is quite
slow,” the center’s, explained.
To ensure driving safety, the Transport Department reviewed
various information submitted by the center, including relevant test reports of
the same types of vehicles on the Mainland, before the trial run. Additionally,
the two autonomous light buses had to undergo inspection.
“During the trial, we limit the testing speed and testing
routes as well as verify the qualifications of the backup operator. Such things
are under the Transport Department’s supervision,” Transport Department Chief
Electrical & Mechanical Engineer (Bus Safety) Janet Lam said.
Along with the Fairview Park project, there are currently
eight autonomous vehicles undergoing trials across the city. All of them have
reached Level 4 of the six autonomous driving levels when it comes to
international standards, which is on par with that of the Mainland and also the
rest of the world.
To provide more flexibility for the industry to conduct
trials and utilise autonomous vehicle technology, Ms Lam added that the
Government implemented new legislation in March.
“Under the new regulation, the autonomous vehicles can be
registered and licensed under the licensing system and regulated by the current
legislation. They can also have more comprehensive uses, such as the carriage
of passengers for hire and reward.”
.jpg) |
| PRESS FOR DETAILS |
