Recently, an exciting news came from Shiyan Economic Development Zone: the driverless smart minibus jointly developed by Dongfeng Special Automobile Co., Ltd. and other companies has been delivered in batches and put into use in key cities such as Xiongan New Area in Hebei and Chongqing. This achievement marks an important step for Shiyan in the field of intelligent transportation and also brings a new solution for urban travel.
It is worth mentioning that this bus has overturned the traditional driving mode. There is no need for a driver in the car. Only one safety officer is needed to hold the emergency control handle in case of emergency. The window design is unique and can play route-related videos to provide passengers with more convenient travel information. When the automatic driving mode is turned on, the vehicle relies on pure electric drive and runs smoothly at a program-designed speed of no more than 69 kilometers per hour. The vehicle’s built-in intelligent brain can analyze the massive images and data transmitted by the sensor in real time and efficiently, and give reasonable and correct driving instructions based on precise algorithms, easily realizing complex operations such as following the vehicle, flexible lane changes, safe overtaking, accurate passing of traffic lights, and smooth entry and exit of the harbor in the automatic driving state. What’s more outstanding is that when an obstacle suddenly appears in front of the vehicle, it can quickly implement emergency braking within 2 meters, and the vehicle’s decision-making response speed is extremely fast, within 100 milliseconds, which is only one-tenth of the reaction speed of human drivers, providing a solid and reliable guarantee for the safety of passengers’ travel.
Walking into the Dongfeng Special Automobile parking lot in Longmen Industrial Park, Shiyan Economic Development Zone, a small and exquisite bus is particularly eye-catching. Compared with traditional buses, this driverless smart microbus is more compact, but it contains rich technological elements. Its body is equipped with a variety of high-tech sensors, including 5 millimeter-wave radars, 6 multi-line laser radars, 16 ultrasonic radars, and 12 high-definition cameras and 1 combined navigation are distributed around the body. These advanced sensing devices work together to achieve all-round environmental perception within a range of 240 meters around the vehicle. Its detection range is as wide as that of a standard stadium.
Mao Ruiping, general manager of Dongfeng Special Automobile Co., Ltd., said: “This is a smart microbus that currently uses brand-new technology in China and reaches the L4 level of autonomous driving. We have carefully designed high, medium and low-end intelligent configurations to meet the diverse needs of different customers to meet the diverse needs of the market. The cruising range of this model can reach more than 200 kilometers, and the interior space is reasonably designe.
At present, Dongfeng Special Automobile has received orders for 300 units. The company is working at full capacity to step up production and expects to deliver more than 150 units this year. In addition, Shiyan City has actively launched a plan to deploy driverless demonstration application scenarios in Shiyan Economic Development Zone, and will take the lead in planning and designing driverless bus routes in various industrial parks. By then, employees of park companies and surrounding residents will be able to personally experience the convenient commuting service brought by this intelligent driverless bus and feel the great changes that intelligent transportation has brought to life.
