Recently Hyundai Motor Company began a test operation of its RoboShuttle service. The demand-responsive, high-occupancy vehicle service, powered by autonomous driving and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, operates along a 6.1-km route in Sejong Smart City, South Korea.
The pilot operation uses the Hyundai H350, a light commercial, four-door van, equipped with autonomous driving technology, which applies a range of Level 4-comparable core technologies and is developed in-house by the Autonomous Driving Center at Hyundai Motor. The vehicle has also obtained a temporary operation permit of ‘autonomous driving Level 3’ from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Based on its self-driving capabilities, the vehicle is designed to perceive its surroundings, make decisions, and control itself while driving on the road, requiring minimal intervention from a safety driver. The vehicle will operate on the 6.1-km route from Sejong Government Complex to Sejong National Arboretum, with 20 stops for passengers along the way.
Before the recent test launch, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sejong City Transportation Corporation on July 12 to facilitate a smooth operation of the pilot program. The program will also collaborate with Shucle, a demand-responsive mobility service running in Sejong City, launched by AIRS Company, a specialized AI research lab under Hyundai Motor Group.
Shucle is the first ride-pooling service in South Korea offering shared mobility solutions to passengers with similar routes by using algorithms to determine the optimal route based on demand. The service is expected to make public transportation more efficient as the vehicle will only stop at pick-up and drop-off points that have been pre-selected by passengers via the app.
The RoboShuttle service connects the company’s proprietary autonomous driving technology with AIRS Company’s AI mobility technology. When a passenger requests a RoboShuttle via the Shucle app, the self-driving shuttle will head to the pick-up point by calculating the best path using AI algorithms.
Hyundai Motor recruits passengers who want to experience the RoboShuttle service within Sejong City via the Shucle app. The service will be gradually expanded to other regions.
Hyundai Motor is also planning to introduce the RoboShuttle service to the Hyundai Motor and Kia Namyang Research and Development Center, providing its researchers with autonomous driving shuttle services.
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