Page 15 - DCCIS 2021_23Dec19

DIRECTORY OF CERTIFIED COMPANIES IN SINGAPORE 2020/2021
Rooting For Driveless Vehicles
Once the stuff of fiction, driverless vehicles are fast becoming a reality. Advancement in machine learning and autonomous technology in recent years has hastened the development pace. The rollout of the 5G network, which is up to 100 times faster than 4G, will give added impetus. As driverless or autonomous vehicles (AVs) require constant real-time communication between their users and the environment around them, 5G will enable vehicles to talk to each other in real time. They will know when another car is changing lanes or braking and can adjust to manage traffic accordingly.
Some of the biggest names in the vehicle and tech industry are engaged in the development of AVs as they have the potential to save lives. It is a well-established fact that human error is largely responsible for accidents in highways and city streets, causing injuries and even death.
After years of development, several pilot schemes have taken to the roads. While it will take a few more years for the industry to iron out the technical kinks to ensure that AVs can operate safely under any environmental condition, we are significantly closer today in being chauffeured around in driverless cars than we were two years ago.
Singapore takes the lead
Singapore is an early technology champion of AVs as they have the potential to radically transform its transport system and improve living environment. AVs, which forms an integral part of Singapore’s smart mobility initiative, can provide an additional transport option for the public, reducing the need for private car ownership. The technology also holds great potential for freight transportation and utility, and help address manpower and space constraints.
Since the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore (Carts) was formed to chart the direction of self- driving technology in 2014, Singapore has established a new two-hectare test facility at Jurong Innovation District to facilitate the testing of AV navigation controls in a real-world environment. The CETRAN AV Test Centre is designed to replicate the different elements of Singapore’s roads, with common traffic schemes, road infrastructure and traffic rules. The circuit also features a rain simulator and flood zone to test AVs’ navigation abilities under different weather conditions.
Singapore has also amended the Road Traffic Act to better regulate the trials of AVs, and put AVs to the test for intra and inter-town
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