Daejeon Launches Pilot Operation of Autonomous Bus (A5)... Connecting Major Research Institutes in Daedeok Innopolis

Connecting 12 Key Hubs Including KAIST, Shinsegae, and Daedeok High School
Free Transportation Until the End of March

Photo by Daejeon City

The Daejeon-style autonomous bus (A5) connects major research institutes and key living hubs within the Daedeok Innopolis.

On January 29, Daejeon City and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) launched a pilot operation of the "Daejeon-style Autonomous Route Bus (A5)."

This initiative is part of the "Chungcheong Region Autonomous Vehicle Commercialization Zone Project."

While the existing intercity routes between Sejong and North Chungcheong (A2, A3) focused on rapid movement between cities via dedicated BRT roads, the newly established A5 route (KAIST~Banseok Station~Sejong Terminal) aims to demonstrate autonomous driving in a complex urban traffic environment with mixed pedestrian and intersection conditions.

In particular, this route is operated using a control system equipped with a high-precision, reality-based 3D digital map, which Daejeon City was the first in the nation to develop. This enables precise monitoring of the autonomous bus's location and status, and provides a technological foundation for flexible responses to unexpected situations during operation.

The city plans to verify the technology's stability and user convenience through a free service until the end of March, after which it will transition to a paid transportation model.

During the pilot period, which runs through March 31, the entire route will be available free of charge (complimentary transportation). Initially, one autonomous vehicle will be deployed, and as demand increases from March, the number of daily operations will be expanded to two trips per day.

ETRI, the implementing agency, has introduced an advance reservation system through a participation link. In particular, citizens who participated in the autonomous driving survey during the recent "Daejeon Zero O'Clock Festival" are being given priority reservation benefits, adding significance to this "citizen participation demonstration" by ensuring that public input is reflected in the actual service.

Photo by Daejeon City

Furthermore, the project goes beyond simply providing passenger transport services and takes the lead in building a future mobility ecosystem. All autonomous driving data collected during the pilot operation will be made fully accessible to both the private sector and academia.

A "Autonomous Driving AI Challenge" will be held, allowing local university students to directly analyze this data and further develop algorithms. This is expected to serve as a catalyst for fostering practical skills among regional talent.

For citizen safety, a professional safety officer will be on board every vehicle at all times to respond to unexpected situations. In the event of adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow, the operation will either switch to manual driving or adjust the schedule to ensure strict adherence to safety operation guidelines.

Choi Seonga, Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs of Daejeon City, stated, "While the existing routes have proven intercity connectivity, the Daejeon route focuses on demonstrating technology within the city by leveraging precise infrastructure, which is a strength of our science city. By combining the technological expertise of ETRI, a leading national research institute, with Daejeon City's administrative capabilities, we will ensure that citizens can experience the convenience of autonomous driving in their daily lives in the safest way possible."

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