In the race to implement driverless public transport, Singapore has built a mini-town that might put it in pole position.
Unveiled in November, the 2-hectare complex includes intersections, traffic lights, bus stops and pedestrian crossings, all built to Singapore’s specifications for public roads.
There’s a mini hill where you may check how vehicles’ sensors work when they can not see directly in front of them, mock skyscrapers to mimic the radio interference attributable to tall buildings, and a rain shower to simulate the island’s frequent tropical downpours.
The profit for the city-state is that the test track and data provided by firms bidding to introduce autonomous buses to Singapore’s streets are helping it construct an unrivaled database of knowledge on the challenges and solutions that will enable the federal government to introduce the technology safely.
“We are probably the only country that is looking at this issue in such an active and systematic way,” said Lee Chuan Teck, former deputy secretary on the Ministry of Transport. “We are actually looking at the implementation of the regulations.”
Lee said the information being collected should allow the federal government to develop autonomous vehicle regulations by the second half of this yr. The country’s small size, advanced road infrastructure and tightly regulated traffic system make it a perfect petri dish for firms developing autonomous systems.
More than 10 firms are currently testing the vehicles at a facility at Nanyang Technological University in western Singapore, said Niels de Boer, program director of Future Mobility Solutions on the university. He said two Volvo AB buses will join them early next yr, with more to return.
“Nobody else is putting all three elements together – testing, regulation and land-use planning,” said Lee, who began working on the Ministry of Trade and Industry this month.
Source: Bloomberg | Jakarta Post Office
