China revs up in race to a driverless future
Located about an hour's drive from Beijing's city centre, in the west of the Chinese capital, sits what used to be one of China's largest steel mills.
Important as its past was, Shougang industrial park now represents part of China's future.
The facility has been transformed into a recreational space and is set to be one of the sites for the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year.
It is also where China is testing some of its most advanced technology - part of a goal to make the 2022 sporting extravaganza the most technology-driven Games in history.
Playing a central role in that: Driverless cars.
MILESTONE IN COMMERCIALISATION
For US$5, you can hitch a ride around the park in an autonomous vehicle developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu.
Using a mobile app, passengers fill in their personal details and book a ride. When the car pulls up at the pickup point, they scan a QR code to unlock the vehicle.
The car will not move until passengers close the door, fasten their seatbelts and push the start button on a screen.
There is an officer on board, but he is not sitting in the driver's seat, and neither is he controlling the car. He is only there to provide assistance to passengers if needed. Everything else is monitored remotely by Baidu.
Available since May, this is the first paid, driverless service in China and seen as a milestone in commercialisation.
"I heard of such a car for the first time and I brought my son to experience it," said 50-year-old Beijing resident Sun Yueqin.
"It would bring a lot of convenience, for example, to those with disabilities. It's an electric car so it's also very environmentally friendly."
If the trial is successful, such driverless vehicles, from cars to shuttles, could be used to transport visitors during the Winter Games.
"Along the way we encountered someone riding a bicycle. I was worried and was hoping the cyclist would dodge, but instead the car slowed down," said 52-year-old Li Lijun who signed up for a test ride.
"This was my first time (in a driverless vehicle). It was amazing. I feel that these cars are safe."
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
