Driverless in Sinagpore

Friday, 6 September 2013 03:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

People ride on a driverless electric vehicle at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore 4 September, 2013. The eight-passenger shuttle vehicle named Navia makes use of laser rangefinders, cameras and a navigation software that allows it to move

autonomously and safely at speeds up to 20 km/h, according to manufacturer Induct. Induct and NTU’s Energy Research Institute has teamed up to test and optimise Navia in a two-year collaboration aimed at improving the reliability of the battery and reducing charging time, according to local media. The golf car like vehicle makes use of laser sensing to track both fixed and moving obstacles with 200 meters of its program track. Passengers use a touch pad in the vehicle to indicate where they wish to go, like a horizontal elevator. Charging of the vehicle’s battery is done using wireless inductive technology. The shuttle never has to be plugged in. According to Induct CEO Pierre Lefèvre, “public transport is not enough on its own. we have to think of ways of getting around that are accessible and near at hand. Being electric, the Navia is silent; it recharges itself unaided at a docking station, and needs no special infrastructure such as rails, so it can work on any kind of site.” Pic by REUTERS