Self-driving vehicle on trial at Gardens by the Bay in December
Two-week trial for self-driving Auto Rider at Gardens by the Bay in December
You will soon be able to yell "look ma, no hands" at four locations in Singapore.
The Ministry of Transport (MOT) introduced four self-driving vehicle trials in one-north, Gardens by the Bay, West Coast Highway and Sentosa.
GARDENS BY THE BAY
In December at Gardens by the Bay, there will be a two-week public trial for the Auto Rider, the fully-operational self-driving vehicle making its Asian debut.
ONE NORTH
At one-north, two A*Star autonomous vehicles, modified Toyota Alphards, and the SMART-NUS driverless car, have started their trials.
WEST COAST HIGHWAY
The design and trials for autonomous truck platooning, which comprises a human-driven truck and one or more driverless trucks, will be carried out over a three-year period on a 10km-long test route along West Coast Highway.
SENTOSA
A fleet of self-driving shuttles will be deployed in a two-year trial aimed at improving connectivity and accessibility for visitors and staff members that can save costs through reduced manpower.
The shuttles can be summoned using a visitor's smartphone or via information kiosks located across the island.
The study is expected to be completed in two years and public usage of these shuttles will take place after 2018.
The Permanent Secretary for Transport, Mr Pang Kin Keong, who is Chairman of the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport in Singapore, said: "Self-driving vehicles can radically transform land transportation in Singapore to address our key two constraints - land and manpower.
The trials will help us shape the mobility concepts which can meet Singapore's needs, and also gain valuable insights into how we can design our towns of the future to take advantage of this technology."
Go around the gardens in driverless vehicle
Visitors to Gardens by the Bay can look forward to trying out the Auto Rider, a fully-operational self-driving vehicle, during its public trial from Dec 1 to 14.
The two Auto Riders used in the trial will strengthen connectivity within the Gardens and enhance mobility for the elderly and persons with disabilities.
It will allow passengers to get around the Gardens in comfort and convenience despite the rain or heat as the Auto Rider is fully enclosed and air-conditioned.
The trial begins and ends at the Planet sculpture near The Meadow.
The 1.5km loop will take passengers through the World of Plants series of outdoor gardens, towards The Canopy near the cooled conservatories, and back.
It can travel at a maximum speed of 40kmh but the operational speed in Gardens by the Bay will be 8-12kmh.
Each ride lasts 15 minutes and there are eight slots available each day from 4pm to 6pm if the weather permits.
The rides are free and on a first-come-first-served basis.
Anyone, including the wheelchair-bound, can use the Auto Rider.
MADE IN FRANCE
The Auto Rider is made in France but has been adapted to Singapore conditions by ST (Singapore Technologies) Engineering.
The battery-operated vehicle can run for six hours on an eight-hour charge..
Each vehicle can take 10 passengers, with six seated and four standing..
A*Star's driverless vehicles
At one-north, two Toyota Alphards converted into A*Star's autonomous vehicles, are expected to help commuters travel from Fusionopolis to Mediapolis. The public trial date has not been fixed.
The fuel-operated vehicles will require about 10 minutes to complete the 6km test route, depending on traffic conditions and travelling up to 40kmh.
The seven-seaters will run an average of eight hours daily, including nights and during weekends, at least six days a week.
Most trials will be conducted from 9am to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays.
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