Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
User submission
7K
38K
China Just Unveiled A Driverless Train That Uses White Painted Lines Instead Of Rails
China is going for another world’s first with their new ‘ART’ train design which mixes bus, tram and train all in one. Except instead of following the usual metal rails, it follows the dotted white lines painted on the road.
ART stands for Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, and its maker, Chinese rail transit firm CRRC, is calling it a “smart bus”. The driverless 30-meter long bus is fully electric and can travel over 40km on a full charge. While it’s guided by the white lines on the pavement, the sensors along its route (combined with sensors on the vehicle itself) help it follow the ‘virtual rails’ and adapt to its surroundings and unexpected situations in real time.
The first model is able to fit 300 passengers across three carriages (with up to 500 in future configurations), and it runs on rubber tires instead of metal rails.
The design is aimed at the communities that can’t afford the immensely expensive subway or tram projects. For example, it costs up to $102 million to build a kilometer of a subway track, as compared to about $2 million for a standard length ART bus, according to a report by Chinese state media Xinhua.
A 4 mile (6.5 km) ART line will be built in the Chinese city of Zhuzhou, with operations starting in 2018.
(h/t: demilked)
RELATED:
38Kviews
Share on Facebook
What do you think ?
Blue Cicada 7 years ago
Probably a specialized paint, but that was my first thought.
Load More Replies...
Death Metal Kitty 7 years ago
It is autonomous in the sense that it can run autonomously and without human intervention. However; don't you think it'd still make sense to have controls for human intervention... for when I don't know, like when the system goes down? My guess is that the driver in there is either the head of the company or some local big shot seeing how it everything works in the driver's seat under both operating conditions - as seeing it is a launching ceremony. I kinda imagined this would have been obvious.
Load More Replies...
John L 7 years ago
ART (Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit) is a great idea that has a real future, especially for China. I suspect the West will be more into individual vehicle transit.
Hayley Lightcap 7 years ago
Western public transportation is a f****n mess
Load More Replies... Blue Cicada 7 years ago
Probably a specialized paint, but that was my first thought.
Load More Replies... Death Metal Kitty 7 years ago
It is autonomous in the sense that it can run autonomously and without human intervention. However; don't you think it'd still make sense to have controls for human intervention... for when I don't know, like when the system goes down? My guess is that the driver in there is either the head of the company or some local big shot seeing how it everything works in the driver's seat under both operating conditions - as seeing it is a launching ceremony. I kinda imagined this would have been obvious.
Load More Replies... John L 7 years ago
ART (Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit) is a great idea that has a real future, especially for China. I suspect the West will be more into individual vehicle transit.
Hayley Lightcap 7 years ago
Western public transportation is a f****n mess
Load More Replies...
Related on Bored Panda
197
40