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

  • Driven demos AVs operating ‘safely’ in London
    October 7, 2019
    The Driven Consortium has completed a week-long demonstration which it says shows that autonomous vehicles (AVs) can operate safely in London - with a safety driver. Driven - a £13.6 million initiative supported by the UK government - carried out the demo around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford in the east of the city. Driven has focused on completing fully-autonomous routes within the UK capital and the city of Oxford using Oxbotica’s autonomous software. Consortium members Moninet and Axa XL p
  • Europe’s first driverless bus trial begins
    August 15, 2014
    Two automated driverless vehicles have begun transporting passengers in Sardinia as part of tests co-funded by the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. The demonstrations are led by the City Mobil 2 project, which is testing automated vehicles in real-life urban environments. The two driverless buses, which can carry up to 12 passengers each, are being piloted on a busy pedestrianised seafront promenade in Oristano. The route is about 1.3 km long and has seven stops. The buses are guided by a differenti
  • O2 and European Space Agency explore C/AV solutions
    June 28, 2019
    O2 and the European Space Agency are working together to support a project aimed at developing connectivity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs) in the UK. O2 says Project Darwin will seek to test new technology and solutions involving 5G and satellite communications over the next four years. Catherine Mealing-Jones, director of growth at the UK Space Agency, says: “AVs need robust, high-speed mobile data connections to operate effectively. Building the technology to link them to tele
  • Korea demonstrates the future of EV transport
    August 8, 2013
    The city of Gumi, South Korea is proving that solutions for future energy and transportation problems are happening now, with the online electric vehicle (OLEV), developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). OLEV is an electric vehicle that can be charged while stationary or driving, removing the need to stop at a charging station, nor does an OLEV tram require pantographs to feed power from electric wires strung above the tram route. OLEV receives power wirelessly through the