Authorities in Hengqin say they have recently begun conducting extensive tests on highly autonomous minibuses, as well as a driverless robotaxi ride hailing service.
The minibuses have no steering wheels but there are safety personnel sitting at the rear of the vehicle. “The minibus is able to achieve 360-degree perception without any blindspots by completely relying on a set of redundant sensors and sensor fusion algorithms,” an official from Hengqin’s urban planning and construction bureau said.
The department noted that the highly automated tests have been conducted without a hitch so far, with no accidents recorded nor any human intervention required.
[See more: Self-driving cars can now cruise all 300+ kilometres of Hengqin’s roads]
Full-scale road testing of robotaxis also began recently. Under the current rules, these driverless vehicles may begin carrying passengers for demonstration purposes after reaching 1,000 kilometres of road testing. They are due to begin commercial operation next month.
The increase in tests follows the Hengqin government’s announcement last month that it had opened all 330 kilometres of roads on the island to self-driving vehicle testing.
At the time, officials said that the policy relaxation would allow for more comprehensive tests, the collection of greater data and the boosting of the public’s confidence and acceptance of driverless technology.
