Shanghai to Set Up First Unmanned Testing Zone for Air, Sea and Land Travel
Xu Huiyun
DATE:  May 09 2018
/ SOURCE:  Yicai
Shanghai to Set Up First Unmanned Testing Zone for Air, Sea and Land Travel Shanghai to Set Up First Unmanned Testing Zone for Air, Sea and Land Travel

(Yicai Global) May 9 -- China's Shanghai will set up the country's first demonstration zone for captainless ships, driverless cars and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in its southeastern satellite city Lingang to provide a testing ground for artificial intelligence (AI) firms.

Some 20 driverless vehicle companies signed a cooperative agreement and applied for testing permits at a ceremony where the city administrative committee released the 'Plan on Comprehensive Demonstration Zone of Unmanned System in Air, at Sea and on Land in Lingang New City yesterday.

Lingang city will build a 4.7 kilometer-test road for vehicles, one-square-kilometer test area on Dishui Lake for ships, and two 200-meter-high low-altitude airspaces with the diameter of 6 kilometers for airplanes, according to the plan.

The unmanned vehicles sector will bring trillions of yuan in investments in the area, said Fu Guoqiang, chief engineer of Shanghai's science and technology committee, adding that Shanghai's Pudong district, has already carried out a pilot project for automated road cleaning.

Operators should test various road conditions so as to promote the safe use of driverless vehicles, Fu reminded.

Shanghai released regulations on unmanned driving and has dedicated a 5.6-kilometer-long road in its northwestern Jiading district for testing, while granting licenses for two companies, namely state-owned SAIC Motor Corp. and Shanghai-based electric vehicle start-up NIO Automobiles Co. to use the road.

Editors: Emmi Laine, Mevlut Katik

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Keywords:   Shanghai,Driverless Vehicles,Lingang,UAVs,Testing Zone