Singapore ventures into AV technology

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.