Pingtan Plans to Build China's First Pilot Zone for Comprehensive Application of Unmanned Driving Tests

On 24th, Fujian (Pingtan), a promotion showcasing the comprehensive demonstration area of land, sea and air unmanned system was held in Pingtan. The event aims to build a bridge that connects Pingtan, automobile enterprises and experts, expand Pingtan’s influence on unmanned driving program, and build Pingtan into "a place of standard-releasing on intelligent Internet-connected vehicles in China".

Several topics came up at the meeting: the plan for unmanned vehicle driving on land, at sea and in the air in Pingtan; the opening up of road network resources; how differential positioning is implemented; how to bring into full play Pingtan’s pioneering policy advantages and its regional advantages as far as Taiwan is concerned; how to focus on the application test of demonstration road sections for unmanned vehicles; and how to build "the first comprehensive application demonstration area for unmanned driving test in China", "a place of standard-releasing on intelligent Internet-connected vehicles in China" and "artificial intelligence industrial park".

"Pingtan has favorable test conditions for unmanned driving on land, at sea and in the air. Since the existing technology of self-driving cars is not yet mature, a large amount of test data is needed to support technology for research and development. There are advantageous traffic test resources here, such as overpasses, shaded path, ramps and so on, so we can perform test very well." According to Dr. Liu Jianquan of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), as an island that enjoys a unique spiral-wind climate, Pingtan is an ideal test place for drones, unmanned civil boats and underwater robots.

"Since Pingtan is an independent island, internally, the road network can be developed, and externally, the test can be sealed within the island, therefore, it is the most likely place to be developed into an open test site for all roads across China." Ruan Zuguang, manager of the strategic development department of District Smart Island Company, added. In terms of the progress of driverless program in Pingtan and the planning next, the phase of preparation for land, sea and air has been completed, Ruan Said. Next, a small-scaled transformation will be carried out on the original test field. The public test road section, based on safety level, will be opened in stages and in an orderly manner. It is planned to build the entire island into the first open test site for all roads across China, and it is expected to be put into use in 2021. "After the site is put into use, an authoritative standard-making body in China will be introduced to build Pingtan into "a place of standard-releasing on self-driving vehicles in China", and form certain industry standards and management methods on intelligent driving after car enterprises receive test and verification in Pingtan. These standards and methods will be released in Pingtan, and, eventually, a specification for artificial intelligence and driverless industry in China will be formed. Ruan Zuguang said that promoting the integrated development of driverless vehicle enterprises on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and introducing vehicle enterprises to be settled here for research and development will bring a number of related technology industries such as artificial intelligence and chip design to Pingtan, thus building Pingtan into a pilot of integrating emerging industries across the Taiwan Strait, and boosting the integrated development of both sides.