**World Wide Web Reporter Zhang Zhiying**
The "No One Minibus" is currently undergoing a trial run in Taiwan, China. This simple yet groundbreaking development signals that "unmanned technology" is now being applied to public transportation. It marks not just a breakthrough in the practical use of autonomous vehicles, but also a significant leap forward in business models.
What kind of business model does this unmanned bus represent? According to industry sources, the no one bus isn't just a vehicle—it's a platform that can build an ecosystem. For instance, if the bus’s surveillance cameras incorporate facial recognition technology, they could identify passengers' gender, clothing, and age, allowing for personalized product recommendations such as coffee, clothes, movies, or coupons. Beyond advertising, apps used for fixed-point services can collect user data, creating potential opportunities for data monetization. As the bus travels along scenic routes, it could also attract investment and promote local prosperity. Most importantly, once the no one bus hits the road, its business model starts immediately.
In November, a section of the open trial ride in Kaohsiung was along the bay. (Global Network reporter photography)
It's worth noting that since these buses are part of public transport, operators can receive government subsidies, which provide a crucial financial safety net for the operation of autonomous vehicles.
However, when unmanned buses become a form of public transport, it means that traffic laws, insurance policies, and technological industries must all align. Since this is uncharted territory, the complexity and unknown risks involved have made many conservative industrialists hesitant.
Currently, the no one bus has started promoting operations in certain areas of Taiwan. How will the island implement this new mode of transport? While people are still debating the commercialization of driverless cars, the business opportunities in unmanned buses have already begun in Taiwan.
Interestingly, it's not a major tech giant like BAT or a government department that brought the mini-bus to Taiwan, but rather a relatively unknown company: 7 Star Lake. The company recognized the potential in the "blue ocean" market of unmanned buses, directly introducing French technology and collaborating with cities to optimize urban development through autonomous shuttles.
Zimen Stark identified the pain points of the city. According to industry insiders, it took about 18 months from the initial concept to the current deployment.
Are there any passenger light buses currently in operation? What is the current progress?
Unlicensed minibuses have already begun trial rides in four enclosed areas in Kaohsiung City in November, aiming to pave the way for future formal roads. The Global World reporter personally took a route in the New Bay Area of Asia. The one-way journey was about one kilometer long, taking around 15 minutes to travel along the harbor and Starlight Waterfront Park.
L4-class "unmanned light buses" are manufactured by the French company EasyMile. They measure less than 4 meters in length and are powered by electricity. Each bus is equipped with a laser ranging system for collision prevention at the front and rear, as well as a camera above the windshield. These unlicensed minibuses can accommodate 12 passengers, including 6 seats and 6 standing spots, and can operate for up to 8 hours at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour.
The reporter found that the roof was fitted with Velodyne Lidar and GPS positioning systems. Velodyne, known for building Lidars for Google’s self-driving cars and drones, is a key player in the industry.
Lidar is a critical component for the safety of unmanned buses, acting as the “eyes†of the vehicle. It scans the surroundings to detect obstacles and ensure accuracy. At present, there are no other components that can replace lidar in the industry. After all, buses involve public safety, and the company is not willing to compromise on technical and security considerations. It is understood that this mini version of the bus costs around $500,000.
During one of the test rides, the bus stalled on a steep incline, requiring manual intervention from the operator. In other words, when faced with more complex road conditions, the system still needs human oversight. The operator explained that the issue might have been due to the bus being overloaded.
Passengers were enthusiastic about their first experience with the unmanned bus. (Global Network reporter photography)
According to Ding Yanyun, general manager of Ximen Stark, the reason the minibus is limited to 8 hours of operation is due to the weather in Taiwan and the need for air conditioning. The company’s future plan is to develop a larger passenger bus that can carry 25 people with a 40KW battery. During peak times, they aim to deploy 4 to 8 vehicles to ease urban traffic demand.
“Driverless driving†is a completely new field for Taiwan’s regulations. When asked about the biggest challenge in promoting driverless buses as public transport, the Kaohsiung City authorities said that the original regulations and policies were not the main obstacle. Instead, the advantage of unmanned buses is that the government can integrate them into existing public transport systems, avoiding the need for extensive data collection, research, and rewriting of new regulations.
High-level officials from the Kaohsiung City Transportation Bureau stated, “The law is very willing to cooperate. The real difficulty lies in how the unmanned bus should adapt to various road conditions and environments.†In short, it's a technical challenge.
However, there are clear benefits to unmanned buses. Why are Taipei and Kaohsiung City eager to support and simplify regulations to welcome the arrival of “unmanned buses�
Traffic problems are solved by using unmanned buses to fill gaps in the public transport network.
The Kaohsiung City Communications Bureau told the reporter that building a 1-kilometer road in the city costs nearly $150 million. Expanding the road network through bus lanes is difficult and time-consuming. All of these factors have led to delays in improving bus coverage in Kaohsiung.
“We often say ‘three for a long time’: Stops take a long way to go, buses are too few, and the journey around the road is long,†said the Kaohsiung Transportation Bureau.
In comparison, an unmanned bus costs about $1 million. It can change routes based on traffic conditions and even make reservations. Its application scenarios are more flexible. Additionally, an unmanned bus with a smart design running on the road can bring a new image to the city. By using laser radar on the bus, city data can be collected to understand traffic congestion, accidents, and help improve traffic management. Moreover, the term “unmanned bus†itself attracts a lot of tourists.
At present, companies are willing to invest their own funds to introduce unmanned buses. The benefits of these measures have earned immediate support from government departments.
It is understood that Kaohsiung City has formed a team to consolidate safety and penalty regulations and submit an application to the Ministry of Communications. It is expected that next year, unmanned buses will be able to drive through general intersections and face real street scenes. A government insider pointed out, “Because of safety considerations, we are currently operating in closed areas, but this can’t satisfy real demand. We can’t close all roads for the unmanned vehicle. We can’t keep doing it forever in closed areas.â€
If unlicensed buses successfully obtain road test licenses next year, they can conduct in-depth studies on real road conditions. (Global Network reporter photography)
Once the protection of the enclosed area is lifted, the real challenge for the unmanned bus begins. On crowded roads filled with people, bicycles, cars, and pedestrians, whether the autonomous driving technology can correctly judge and execute is the real test at this point. On the other hand, only by letting unmanned buses actually get on the road can artificial intelligence be deeply studied. By collecting and learning data from various real road conditions, the unmanned buses can become smarter.
Kaohsiung City said that on completely open roads, it is necessary to open real two or three intersections to test and let the unmanned buses cooperate with traffic lights, AI, sensors, and data from different cities, constantly modifying algorithms to realize smart cities.
In addition to the active promotion of Kaohsiung City, Taipei City is not far behind. Taipei City told reporters that it is expected to test the road test license for unmanned buses by the end of the year. If everything goes smoothly, it is expected to see unmanned buses on the bus lane next to Xinyi Road next year.
“Taipei has 29,000 traffic accidents a year, and smart vehicles are clearly a very important scene,†said the Taipei City Department of Transportation. “The whole world is exploring better ways to travel. I hear that there is less money for unmanned buses, but high security is an inevitable direction. This view is certainly challenging for everyone, but it aligns with the direction of the smart city in Taipei.â€
Small Town Strategy: Unmanned Bus Technology + Sightseeing + Green Energy
It's worth mentioning that when promoting unmanned public light buses as public transport, a small city has also taken this technology train: Changhua City.
In the future, unmanned bus routes will be equipped with smart street lamps and wind turbine installations. (provided by Simon Gatek)
Compared to first-tier cities, Changhua City has received relatively fewer government resources, but in recent years, it has developed wind power thanks to its unique geographical environment, becoming an internationally renowned wind power area, attracting many foreign wind power investigators to visit.
Due to its small population and limited resources, Changhua City hopes to introduce unmanned minibuses to promote tourism and economic development. Their approach is quite creative: On the idle road near the high-speed rail in Changhua City, there will be no open minibus. Changhua City stated that on both sides of the road in the future, it will become a sightseeing area for eating, drinking, and playing. That is, as long as there is no light bus, you can go all the way to the end.
“I want to plant some rose fields and lavender fields along this route, and let these places become the sites for unlicensed minibuses. On Valentine’s Day, we can hold some activities suitable for the occasion,†said Ding Yanyun.
According to Changhua City, “If we just do sightseeing, our application for unmanned buses is still at a relatively simple level.†Changhua City will further utilize its windy, open constitution. “We recommend unmanned bus operators to install small wind turbines on both sides of the road for wind power generation, and the generated electricity can be sold back to the power plant. The fans on both sides become a special scenery, but also let the original unmanned vehicle technology combine sightseeing and then promote green energy. The level of environmental protection.â€
“A lot of manufacturers are surprised and excited to see what I’ve done. They can see that I’m doing all this, not just stopping at the sightseeing minibus. All the things we do now are for no one. The official road of the car is paving the road,†said Ding Yanyun.
Regulations are the latest specifications for virgin lands: bus operators need to insure 30 million
Taiwan’s current laws and regulations impose strict requirements on “vehicles,†requiring that there be a steering wheel and a specified number of escape exits. If they don’t comply, they won’t be able to apply for a trial license or conduct general road tests. In other words, laws and regulations cannot keep up with the development of science and technology.
As driverless technology involves a whole new field, what about insurance? How much is the amount? Where is the scope? Do you want to design a special law? All of the above are aspects that need to be considered.
All this made new progress in November. The Taiwan Ministry of Transport revised the law to allow unmanned vehicles to be supervised at the end of the year, requiring that one person be accompanied by the vehicle, and the maximum amount of insured money would be NT$150 million (approximately 30 million RMB). Video equipment to record driving trajectories.
In view of the accidents in foreign unmanned vehicle testing, the new law stipulates that there is one person with the vehicle for the unmanned vehicle test, and must have insurance. The amount of insurance coverage can be adjusted appropriately according to the conditions such as road section, time period, and driving speed.
The Science and Technology Consultant Office of the Ministry of Transport has tentatively drafted a draft management point, which stipulates that the responsibility of the unmanned vehicle for the steering wheel, acceleration and deceleration operations, and driving environment monitoring can be handled automatically by the system, that is, in accordance with the automatic definition defined by Level 3 of SAE. With driving ability, you can apply for a trial license. It is believed, however, that it is possible to apply for a road test license in Taiwan, China.
Will the mainland introduce the unmanned bus business model in the future?
“If the application of unmanned vehicles remains in private cars, it will still be unable to solve the urban traffic problems,†said a senior official from the Communications Bureau during an interview. Bringing unmanned technology to public transport, the idea was smoothly supported by policy and implemented surprisingly quickly.
At present, the no one bus can carry a maximum of 12 passengers. In the future, it hopes to build a 25-person passenger-free bus. (Global Network reporter photography)
In recent years, due to the limited area of economic development in Taiwan, the emergence of unmanned buses is expected to lead a new wave of momentum in the technology industry. In the future, large-scale technology companies that build unmanned bus components will benefit from the industry upgrade.
When the “unmanned public light bus†was put on trial operation in China’s Taiwan this year, “driving without a driver†began to work for “public transport.†This was a breakthrough in the application of unmanned vehicles and a leap forward in business models.
Ding Yanyun aims at the needs of the city and creates his own traffic and lifestyle for the city. But he wants to do more than this. It is understood that Ding Yanyun is trying to get in touch with Baidu. Although there is no specific plan yet, the vision is bigger than expected.
“In the future unmanned buses, I will also put windows in new electronic screens to create a dedicated unmanned vehicle APP. Combining with the surrounding businesses, taking an unmanned bus will be very entertaining. In short, the future may be very exciting,†Ding Yanyun said excitedly.
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