National University of Singapore’s (NUS) will be trialing a fully autonomous shuttle bus at its Kent Ridge campus from May 25, 2019.
This is part of a year-long study aimed at gauging the commercial viability of such a service.
To be operated by ComfortDelGro’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ComfortDelGro Bus Pte Ltd, the NUSmart Shuttle will first embark on a 1.5 month-long road test at NUS before commencing the trial proper. The NUSmart Shuttle will ply a 1.6 km route between Heng Mui Keng Terrace and Business Link within the campus.
The key purpose of the road test is to “map” the route through the collection of data for the vehicle’s navigation systems.
Upon completion of the mapping process, the NUSmart Shuttle will run a validation test for three hours daily over a four-week period. During this time, the shuttle will not be taking passengers.
Following the road test, the NUSmart Shuttle is expected to commence the passenger service trial in the third quarter of the year.
Funded and imported by Inchcape Singapore, it will be the first autonomous shuttle bus that is being run by a land transport operator in real mixed traffic conditions, alongside regular buses, cars and motorcycles. Inchcape Singapore, a strong supporter towards the adoption of technologies, also provides technical expertise on vehicle type approval.
The fully electric NUSmart Shuttle can carry up to 12 people.
The driverless shuttle follows a predefined route and is equipped with a full range of sensors to detect and avoid potential obstacles. A Safety Operator will be on board to provide information to passengers and ensure safe operation of the vehicle.