Skip to main content

Singapore ventures into AV technology

A new partnership, the Singapore Autonomous Vehicle Initiative (SAVI), announced by the Singapore government, together with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will jointly oversee the setting up of a technology platform to spur research and development as well as the testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, applications and solutions. A Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore (CARTS) will also be formed to chart the strategic dir
August 29, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

A new partnership, the Singapore Autonomous Vehicle Initiative (SAVI), announced by the Singapore government, together with the 918 Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will jointly oversee the setting up of a technology platform to spur research and development as well as the testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, applications and solutions.

A Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore (CARTS) will also be formed to chart the strategic direction and study opportunities for AVs deployed in the country. Among the possibilities being explored are the use of AVs for the transport network, such as driverless buses, or for intra-town shuttles in future residential developments.

SAVI will also look into the regulations required for the mass adoption of such vehicles, such as liability issues when accidents happen and infrastructural requirements.

AVs are already under development in Singapore; the National University of Singapore, with 2024 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been testing four autonomous golf-buggies within the campus. From September, two will be deployed on the footpaths of the Chinese and Japanese Gardens in Jurong Lake District, and the public can use them for free. They also have an autonomous car, SCOT, which can be remotely summoned and can detect obstacles with laser sensors.

ST Kinetics has developed an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle called Terrav, which can detect other vehicles coming from different directions, while PSA Singapore Terminals has been developing automated guided vehicle prototypes that will operate 24/7 for its future container terminals, to transport containers between the quay and the container yard without drivers.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • European ITS Directive: From Minority Report to majority rapport
    December 1, 2023
    A 21-year old movie by Steven Spielberg appears to predict a C-ITS Day 3 use case. Richard Lax of Kapsch TrafficCom looks at the new European ITS Directive and idly wonders whether the great Hollywood movie director was once a European Commission intern in DG Move…
  • When caring about sharing is good business for US automakers
    October 28, 2015
    Although car-sharing and ride-sharing could drastically reduce car sales, David Crawford finds some US automakers are keen to participate in the sharing economy. Growing consumer interest in car- and ride-sharing, as opposed to outright ownership, and ride-sharer Uber’s recently stated intention to make its brand competitive with ownership on cost, are making the major US automotive manufacturers think seriously about their future sales prospects. Some have already begun exploring ways of entering the field
  • Connected vehicle technology the solution to safety?
    January 25, 2012
    A series of 'driver clinics' is under way across five states, as vehicle manufacturers and the US Government pin their hopes on connected vehicles becoming the next big advance in road safety. Pete Goldin reports. What would a car say if it could talk? Its first words might be: "Here I am". Many vehicles are communicating that very message to each other right now. Admittedly, this is in controlled environments of US Department of Transportation (USDoT) tests, but within the next few years 'connected vehicle
  • Aimsun unveils test platform for AVs in digital cities
    August 7, 2019
    Aimsun has released a software platform for the large-scale design and validation of path-planning algorithms for autonomous vehicles (AVs). The company says Aimsun Auto allows test vehicles to drive inside digital cities - virtual copies of transportation networks, where users can safely explore the limits of AV technology. Paolo Rinelli, global head of product management at Aimsun, says Auto removes the need to drive around seeking conditions that users want to test or to “script each actor’s behaviou