Autonomous bus on trial in China

The technological revolution that China has experienced in the last decade has and will be moulding constantly our daily life.

In less than a decade, a cashless society has become a reality in many Chinese cities with services like WeChat Pay and AliPay; e-commerce has given the population a whole new level of shopping experience with TaoBao, JD.com and many more; and it seems like transportation is not falling behind.

With the research and development in key technological fields such as AI (artificial intelligence) and 5G networks, autonomous driving has become closer to reality. Last Sunday, an autonomous bus put into trial in the city of Changsha, Hunan province. During the 6 km test, the 5G-supported smart bus accelerated, decelerated, identified traffic lights, entered and parked at bus stations all by its own. With a much faster 5G network, real time updates of the bus location and remote monitoring and emergency interventions are made possible to increase service quality and safety.

Seems like autonomous buses will become a reality soon, just as electrical buses and taxis have become common in today’s transportation services ecosystem. Will you get into one?