The autonomous cooperative driving bus being promoted by Gyeonggi Province will begin test operations in Pangyo Techno Valley starting next month. Based on the results of the test operation, the province plans to operate autonomous cooperative driving buses on public roads in Pangyo Techno Valley as early as September, which is expected to be the first case in Korea where autonomous buses operate together with regular vehicles.
Gyeonggi Province announced this plan on the 17th and explained that it successfully completed the autonomous cooperative driving bus driving test at the Automobile Safety Research Institute’s K-city autonomous driving test site located in Hwaseong on the 9th and passed the temporary operation permit review. Accordingly, test operations are scheduled to begin in June after obtaining a temporary autonomous driving license from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport at the end of this month.
A self-driving car refers to a car that can operate on its own through self-perception, judgment, and control without driver or passenger intervention. Autonomous cooperative driving buses differ from regular self-driving cars in that they receive infrastructure information such as signal information, pedestrian crossing conditions, and traffic conditions from the control center. It has the advantage of high efficiency and stability because the autonomous driving function is supplemented by the control center.
The Gyeonggi-do autonomous cooperative driving bus, which will begin test operation in June, is a commercial low-floor electric bus manufactured by Edison Motors that has been improved to enable autonomous cooperative driving. With a length of 10.99 m, a width of 2.49 m, and a height of 3.39 m, this bus is currently in operation on public roads, but the difference is that it has 20 seats instead of 48. It is equipped with sensors such as radar and lidar and an autonomous driving system, so the vehicle can operate on its own. Transportation infrastructure information, such as signal information, pedestrian crossing conditions, and traffic conditions, is provided by the Gyeonggi Autonomous Driving Center located in Pangyo.
During the test operation period, no passengers are allowed on board and only managers board to control the operation situation. The operation section will be a round trip between the 7km section of Pangyo 1st and 2nd Techno Valley for convenient commuting for Pangyo workers. It is also equipped with a function to drive in compliance with the legal maximum speed (0 to 50 km/h) for the driving section.
The speed can be automatically adjusted according to the driving situation of the vehicle in front without driver intervention, and the bus steering wheel can be automatically steered to avoid leaving the center of the driving lane or the driving lane. If an object such as a vehicle, pedestrian, or bicycle suddenly appears in front, the sensor can recognize the object and safely stop even in an emergency collision. To ensure safety, there is also a function that automatically stops the system when the driver intervenes, such as by operating the accelerator pedal or brake pedal.
The province plans to decide on matters related to the general operation of self-driving cooperative buses, such as fares and frequency of operation, after the pilot operation.
Ryu Gwang-yeol, head of the provincial economic office, said, “Gyeonggi Province will play a leading role in solving transportation problems and industrial development through a mobility revolution led by autonomous driving.”
Meanwhile, in a driving test on the 9th, K-city, which created an experimental environment similar to actual road conditions, tested the autonomous cooperative driving bus’s distance maintenance system, lane departure prevention system, emergency braking system, and automatic lane change system. The test course was conducted with a vehicle operator accompanying the driver.
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom
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