Volvo To Test Full-Size Driverless Bus in Singapore (reuters.com) 44
Speaking of Volvo, the Swedish carmaker announced today that it has partnered with Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and unveiled a full-size autonomous electric bus for testing this year in the city state. From a report: High-density Singapore has been encouraging the development of driverless technology in hopes that its residents will use more shared vehicles and public transport. Tests with one bus on the university campus could begin in a few weeks to months, before moving to public roads after regulatory approvals, NTU President Subra Suresh told reporters. He hoped the tests could be extended to public roads in a year. A second bus will undergo tests at a city bus depot.
The 12-metre (39 ft) vehicle can carry up to 80 passengers and is the world's first full-size, autonomous electric bus, Volvo and NTU said. "This is the type of vehicle that real operators would use and that's why it is a milestone," Hakan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses, told reporters.
The 12-metre (39 ft) vehicle can carry up to 80 passengers and is the world's first full-size, autonomous electric bus, Volvo and NTU said. "This is the type of vehicle that real operators would use and that's why it is a milestone," Hakan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses, told reporters.
Different company (Score:4, Informative)
Volvo Bus (owned by the Volvo Group), is a different company than Volvo Cars (owned by Geely).
Re:Excellent. (Score:4, Insightful)
I think the biggest problem is Tesla'a Autopilot isn't the same as a self driving car.
The Autopilot is a tool to reduce driving strain, where it will keep you in your lane, and avoid collisions. Most of the Autopilot accidents is because some idiot thinks the car is a self driving car, and just lets it drive on its own, especially in situations where the road is non normal (bad conditions, road work, work men, traffic)
This is good if you are on the Highway you have picked your lane, and need to refocus your eyes a bit.
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no 49MPH.
And, following the new Volvo policy, . . . (Score:4, Funny)
. . . the speed of the bus will be limited to prevent accidents to 0 kph.
(That's 0 mph for the Imperial Units crew).
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Wait - don't you still have to add 32?
I am so glad these things aren't in Ashland (Score:2)
That way I don't have to ever see these things on the road. Thing is computers are not advanced enough to do this and you had better hope they don't become that advanced.
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Why a bus? (Score:3)
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I'd be more impressed if Volvo, the Swedish carmaker, had announced that they were going to test their bus in Sweden.
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Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
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Why does every car hater insist that everyone else also truly hates driving and only does it "because they have no other option?"
Maybe because everyone who claims to love driving is always angry and spends all their time complaining about other drivers?
If everyone else would stay off the road then I would also love to drive, but as it is now I prefer to walk when I have the option.
Re:Why a bus? (Score:4, Insightful)
People who can afford their own personal transportation, will afford it, even if it's slightly a financial burden to them, because the benefits outweigh everything else
Some of the larger metro areas, like SF or NYC, I find it way more beneficial to not have a car in than to have a car. In MYC I can often beat most traffic on foot for just a few blocks, for longer it might be even using the subway...
Or at least that way true, every visit the subway in NYC gets more unreliable and worse.
Anyway, point is that if you are living somewhere in the middle of a few places it still may be more desirable not to own a car, and just rent something really nice when you do need one.
Now me, I do need a person car for what I do. But I would dearly love to have it be autonomous so I could do other things on long drives. My dream would be a kind of small camper van that I could sleep and work in while it drove me overnight to various destinations. That would be amazing.
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I own a car, but I rarely use it within the (european) city I live in. Streets are narrow, mostly one way only, it's busy, and there's no place to park. I walk or take the bike when I need to be in town.
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even if it's slightly a financial burden to them, because the benefits outweigh everything else. ... In the town it is close to useless, longer distances in my country for work I do in a train, where I can either work on my laptop or read a book and enjoy a beer in the restaurant wagon.
In your country perhaps. In Germany no. I hardly manage to drive my car 10,000km a year
Unless basic human nature changes, 'public transit' isn't going to ever be considered 'attractive'.
Again: in your country perhaps. I'm n
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"... point to pint transport" There you go. I could use a pint myself.
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A few points:
1) Buses have a limited lifespan, so they'll need to be replaced eventually anyway. As long as they're only buying the new buses as part of their regular fleet replacement, you need to look at the difference in cost between an autonomous bus and a conventional bus. Since even a diesel bus can cost over $500,000 [thoughtco.com], paying $800,000 for a driverless bus is much less of a stretch.
2) The amount you're suggesting for driver pay would
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The reason Singapore is interested in public transportation is because their roads are too crowded. They've already implemented a bunch of measures to reduce individual driving, like limiting the number of cars sold in the country and congestion pricing in the busiest areas of the city. They absolutely do not want to encourage more driving, even by autonomous vehicles.
Ahead of his time (Score:2)
Let's put this into perspective, shall we? (Score:3)
An 'driverless bus' will operate on a set route, on a set schedule, making pre-determined stops at pre-determined locations. Compared to a so-called 'self driving car', this is closer to an elevator or a train than it is a 'driverless car'. The requirements placed on the so-called 'AI' running it are small in comparison. Furthermore I'm sure it'll run at a slow speed. The most complex thing it'll be asked to do is stop when something is in it's path. Overall this is nothing to get excited about, is not anything I'd consider a 'milestone'.
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If it's not been done before, I would call it a milestone.
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Self-driving and public transport (Score:1)
I keep seeing this connection being made between self-driving vehicles and public transport as though you need one to have the other. "High-density Singapore has been encouraging the development of driverless technology in hopes that its residents will use more shared vehicles and public transport." Do they really think that their residents won't use public transport unless it's driverless? Or can Singapore not afford bus drivers?
route (Score:2)