The unmanned taxi draws attention from the media. [Photo/IC]

Hangzhou recently launched two routes for unmanned RoboTaxis, namely the Airport Line from Civic Center to Hangzhou International Airport and the High-Speed Rail Line from Civic Center to Hangzhoudong Railway Station.

Both routes underwent trial operations on weekdays from Jan 15 to Feb 5.

The vehicles showcased advanced capabilities by adjusting driving strategies based on real-time road conditions and demonstrated flexibility in accelerating or decelerating as needed. When choosing lanes, the taxis intelligently chose lanes with fewer vehicles.

Equipped with a safety officer, the autonomous ride features hands-off driving, with the officer's hands resting on their lap and eyes focused on the road. The officer only intervenes in emergency situations.

The vehicles are equipped with a total of 50 high-definition sensors, including cameras, lidar, and millimeter-wave radar, and have a 360-degree view of the surroundings up to a distance of 300 meters.

Furthermore, a sophisticated onboard system processes information in the trunk, serving as the "brain" of the vehicle. All information collected by the sensors is aggregated, processed, and transformed into autonomous driving commands.

"The public trial operation, following the route provided to users during the Hangzhou Asian Games, covers longer distances, traverses more regions, and even crosses the Qiantang River. This signifies that our L4-level artificial intelligence cars are able to handle more complex situations in Hangzhou, and the application of AI technology has been expanded and enhanced," said Lin Tailai, vice-president of AutoX Technology Innovation, the designer.

An unmanned taxi runs on a road in Hangzhou. [Photo/IC]