An autonomous bus was seen rolling by on a road around Jinyi Lake in Jindong district, Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Dec 2.

Since September, Jindong district has officially launched an autonomous bus testing experience at Jinyi Lake. These autonomous buses operate without a driver or steering wheel but are equipped with a safety operator to handle any emergencies.

The buses maintain a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, can carry eight passengers, and feature Level 4 autonomous driving technology. They can also avoid obstacles, change lanes, steer automatically, and recognize traffic lights.

An autonomous bus in Jindong district, Jinhua. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

"The screen at the front of the buses uses SR environment reality rendering technology to display surrounding vehicles and pedestrians, showing the driving route of the autonomous bus," explained a safety operator.

Having completed road testing, these autonomous buses are now entering a demonstration application phase, with a planned route of approximately 6.5 kilometers. They will provide shuttle services for visitors around Jinyi Lake.

"As access to the roads around Jinyi Lake improves, more stops will be set up, and additional application scenarios will be introduced as needed," said a representative from Jinhua High-Tech Industrial Development Service Center.

Editor: Xu Zhitian