Private housing estate conducts groundbreaking field test of right-hand drive autonomous vehicle
The Automotive Platform and Application Systems Research and Development Center (APAS) “Autonomous driving people mover service using 5G in residential areas” Pilot Program After nearly two years of meticulous planning and technical research, collecting high-resolution maps, developing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, simulation testing, debugging, and most importantly, safety testing, field testing has officially begun at Fairview Park. With the vehicle movement permit obtained, field testing at Fairview Park will begin on August 26th. The program was funded by the Smart Transportation Fund of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and fully supported by Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited (Kwoon Chung), TriTech Distribution Limited (Tritech), a subsidiary of MTT Group Holdings Limited, and Fairview Park Property Management Ltd. and its Management Advisory Committee. This will set a reference point for the development of self-driving right-hand drive vehicles for transport authorities and local industry to prepare for the widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology in public transport in the future.
The two autonomous shuttle light buses operated in the pilot program can carry 12 and 8 passengers respectively, with the 8-seater equipped with a wheelchair space. Both vehicles are equipped with sensors that detect in real time whether passengers are wearing their seat belts correctly. The low-floor design is not only convenient for the elderly and wheelchair users, but also increases the safety of children when boarding and disembarking. The operator has taken out third-party insurance for the vehicles to protect passengers. During the pilot project, APAS will conduct monthly inspections of the vehicles and autonomous driving system and collect relevant data to improve its services.
Dr Lawrence Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of APAS“Since APAS began its autonomous driving innovation in 2018, we have always been dedicated to working with industry, academia and technical institutions to commercialize the results of our research and development (R&D) innovations, thereby promoting the development of Hong Kong’s automotive technology industry. With the support of Kwoon Chung, TriTech and Farview Park Property Management Ltd, we are able to launch the pilot program at Fairview Park, which we hope will benefit the local industry by cultivating talent and gaining experience in promoting the use of autonomous vehicles, leading to the widespread adoption of autonomous technology in public transport in the near future. APAS will continue to strive in line with the ‘Hong Kong Smart City Blueprint 2.0’ by providing talent and experience to further accelerate the implementation of wider application of autonomous vehicle technology in Hong Kong, and promoting collaboration between the government, industry, academia and research sectors to accelerate related R&D and application, making Hong Kong a more livable and sustainable city,” said Mr.
Timothy Wong, Chief Operating Officer, Koon Cheong The group has been actively exploring autonomous electric light bus services in recent years and said it is also pleased to see an increase in infrastructure projects introducing autonomous electric vehicles and transport systems. “At Kwoon Chung, we are responsible for technology enabler, localisation and commercialisation in our smart mobility efforts. By positioning ourselves as a technology enabler, Kwoon Chung is committed to applying advanced technologies in the field of smart mobility and driving industry innovation and development. Our vision is to be pioneers in the localisation and commercialisation of autonomous driving, integrating technological advancements with Hong Kong and global demand while facilitating the implementation and commercialisation of the technology.”
Fairview Park, one of Hong Kong’s largest private villa developments, has long, wide main roadways and low residential density, making it ideal for testing autonomous driving. The pilot project will deploy two autonomous shuttle light buses equipped with CV2X (Cellular-Vehicle-to-Everything) in the southeast and northwest of Fairview Park, providing residents with additional options in addition to the two existing estate shuttle bus routes. During the two-month trial period, the two autonomous shuttle light buses will operate from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) and will have seven bus stops for residents within the estate. The circular route, which is approximately 2.5km long, will travel clockwise around bus stops 3 and 9.
Fairview Park Property Management The company believes that these shuttle light buses have the potential to provide additional transportation options for residents and expressed its gratitude to the R&D team for selecting Fairview Park as a pilot project for the introduction of 5G autonomous driving. Through the application of “smart mobility” technology, Fairview Park hopes to integrate the concepts of “green technology” and “smart city”. The estate aims to create a greener and more liveable environment for residents as well as upgrade Fairview Park to keep up with the future development of the northern metropolis region. The estate management hopes to continue collaborating with the government and private sector through technological innovation, strive to build a sustainable community model, and participate in Hong Kong’s smart city development concept.
Each autonomous shuttle light bus in the pilot project is equipped with a range of sensors, 5G receivers and AI technologies, including high-resolution digital maps, object detection, route planning and vehicle dynamics control (VDC). They are also equipped with CV2X capabilities, which integrate cameras, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and GPS positioning systems to improve the light bus’s localization accuracy. Additionally, the autonomous vehicles can detect surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other obstacles and respond appropriately to avoid collisions.
Meanwhile, the approved vehicle movement permit stipulates the maximum speed of the project’s autonomous shuttle light buses at 30 kilometers per hour. Each test vehicle will have a safety driver on standby to manually take over control in case of emergency for passenger safety. The safety drivers appointed by Kwoon Chung hold a designated driver’s license valid in Hong Kong. They must complete mandatory professional training conducted by Kwoon Chung to understand the operation, functions and working guidelines of the autonomous shuttle light buses and obtain written approval from the technology developer. During the service hours of the pilot program, safety personnel will be stationed at the bus terminal to monitor driving data in real time through the 5G wireless network and assist the safety driver in responding to emergency situations.
The “5G-enabled Self-Driving People Mover Service in Residential Areas” was launched in August 2022. It is coordinated by APAS, which also supports testing of various autonomous driving technologies and charging of the autonomous Shuttle Light Buses. It is supported by the Government’s Smart Transport Fund. For more information about the project, please visit: https://stf.hkpc.org:8443/psri-25-2112-ra/.
sauce: Apass
