Jinan's 1st autonomous bus begins trial operation

Jinan's first autonomous bus began trial operations in Licheng district in Jinan on July 13, drawing significant attention.

The compact blue bus measures 5.5 meters in length and 2.7 meters in height. It achieves level 4 autonomy with a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour.

Liu Ke, director of the technical management department of Jinan Public Transport Group, said that the bus is equipped with 10 seats and operates via voice control. It is outfitted with various radars and cameras to achieve 360° environmental perception. The system of the bus comprises three main components: perception, decision-making, and control, allowing for autonomous lane-changing and precise docking.

The bus will spend approximately two days collecting high-precision map data before commencing actual autonomous driving road tests. Upon completing 240 hours or 1,000 kilometers of road testing and passing a review, the bus will apply for autonomous vehicle demonstration application.

In 2024, Jinan Public Transport Group plans to introduce four autonomous buses, aiming to conduct tests in various scenarios.