Alphabus

For the first time pilotless buses appeared on public roads. The significant event took place on December 2, 2017 in the city of Shenzhen, the Chinese province of Guangdong.

For the first time on public roads pilotless buses appeared

According to the China Daily edition, along a test route 1.2 km long four "smart" Alphabus buses went. They speeded at from 10 to 30 km/h and made on the way three stops. All trip took about five minutes.^[1]

One of the first passengers praised the innovation buses, having noted that they went surely and made all put stops. However, braking was a little sharp, he added.

Alphabus is able to go round automatically pedestrians and obstacles in the road

Alphabus by the sizes almost do not concede to normal buses and can transport up to 19 passengers. They are equipped with cameras, GPS-and infrared sensors, optical range finders of LiDAR and other sensors which allow to move in the pilotless mode. Alphabus are able to go round automatically pedestrians and obstacles in the road, to accelerate or slow down, to do the planned and emergency stops, to change a route and to follow indications of the traffic light. Nevertheless, the place for the driver that in case of an unforeseen situation that could take management in hand is provided in a cabin of Alphabus.

Alphabus is the pilot project of the National technical center of intelligent transport systems (National Intelligent Transport Systems Center of Engineering and Technology) and Shenzhen Bus Group transport company.

The place for the driver is provided in a cabin of Alphabus

The pilotless technology for the bus was developed by Shenzhen Haylion Technologies company. Its chairman Hu Jianping said to the edition that all experimental buses are manufactured in China, and the cost of everyone is about 500 thousand yuans ($76000).^[2]

After Shenzhen the carrier of Shenzhen Bus Group implementing the Alphabus project is going to test pilotless buses in 10 cities of the People's Republic of China, Mashable tells.^[3]

Robotics

Notes