Crowded Cheonggyecheon Street, Autonomous Bus Runs

Seoul City and FortyTwoDot Unveil Demand-Responsive Autonomous Shuttle at Cheonggyecheon
After 1 Year of Operation in Sangam, Seoul, Expands to Most Challenging Area

The demand-responsive autonomous bus aDRT, unveiled on the 24th by autonomous driving technology development company FortyTwoDot. It is an electric vehicle-based purpose-built vehicle (PBV) and will begin operating for the general public around the Cheonggyecheon area in Seoul starting from the 25th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] A demand-responsive autonomous bus that comes when called will begin operating at Cheonggyecheon in Seoul. After being introduced in Sangam-dong about a year ago, the service has expanded to the heart of Seoul. The Cheonggyecheon area is known as a difficult place to drive due to the mix of pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles.

Autonomous driving technology company FortyTwoDot and the Seoul Metropolitan Government held an event on the 24th at Cheonggye Plaza to announce the operation of aDRT. aDRT stands for autonomous-demand responsive transport, a demand-responsive mobility service that comes automatically when a vehicle is called. Starting from the 25th, it will be available to the general public.

The operation route runs from Cheonggye Plaza to Sewoon Sangga, taking about 20 minutes for one full loop. The company plans to extend the route to Cheonggye 5-ga by the first half of next year. The fare is free. Similar to the Sangam-dong service, after a certain period, some fees may be charged in consultation with the Seoul city government.

aDRT runs by recognizing its surroundings in real time using a combination of cameras and radar sensors. It uses 12 cameras and 6 radars. The vehicle seats 8 people, with a maximum of 7 passengers excluding the safety attendant.

Inside the demand-responsive autonomous bus aDRT by FortyTwo Dot. The body is lowered and the height increased, with a panoramic sunroof on the ceiling giving an open impression. The windows are designed wide enough to reach about the passengers' waist level, ensuring a good view.

Previously, the company introduced the same service in late November last year in Sangam, Seoul. While Sangam is a relatively new area with wide and quiet roads, Cheonggyecheon is always crowded during working hours. It sees frequent traffic from domestic and international tourists, nearby office workers, and residents. There are frequent jaywalking pedestrians as well as two-wheeled vehicles. Near the shopping area, there are many parked and stopped vehicles. For these reasons, the company and Seoul city decided that in the early stages of operation, in case of dangerous situations, the mode will switch immediately from autonomous driving to manual driving by the operator.

Passengers who wish to ride can call the vehicle by installing an application, just like in Sangam. Operating hours are from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM on weekdays and until 1:30 PM on Saturdays. The service does not operate on Sundays and public holidays.

The distinctive feature of the vehicles operating this time is that they were developed with autonomous driving in mind from the start. Typically, in the development process of autonomous driving technology, autonomous driving kits are attached to existing mass-produced vehicles for data collection or test driving. This vehicle was designed from the planning stage as a public transportation vehicle for autonomous driving.

The demand-responsive autonomous bus aDRT, unveiled on the 24th by autonomous driving technology development company FortyTwoDot. It is an electric vehicle-based purpose-built vehicle (PBV) and will begin operating for the general public around the Cheonggyecheon area in Seoul starting from the 25th.

FortyTwoDot was founded by Song Chang-hyun, an AI expert formerly at Naver, and was acquired by Hyundai Motor Group in August this year. This aligns with Hyundai Motor Group’s policy to strengthen software capabilities. They are building a global software center and plan to organize teams and personnel centered around this company.

CEO Song Chang-hyun said, "I am pleased to enable more citizens to experience autonomous driving technology in a distinctive Seoul city like Cheonggyecheon," adding, "We will steadily expand the operation area and strive to consolidate the capabilities of the global software center as an AI mobility company."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.