▲ SpringCar turning around the Sang Sang Hall 



 

Our University's Research Center of Electrical and Information Technology will operate an autonomous shuttle program. This will be the first of its kind in Korea. The launching ceremony of the self-driving shuttle device was held on the 12th floor af Techno Cuhe on Wednesday, March 17. The launching ceremony was attended by Youngil Lee, head of the Research Center of Electrical and Information Technology, Donghoon Lee, president of SeoulTech, Seungrok Oh, district mayor of Nowon, and about 30 Nowon-gu office and corporate officials.

 

After the launching ceremony, a vehicle test drive was held on campus. The vehicle is electric with level 4 self-driving capability. It was manufactured by Easymile in France and operated by Spring Cloud (CEO Youngki Song). It runs at a limited driving speed of about 15 km/h and takes about 20 minutes per round trip. The shuttle's route is 1.9 kilometers in total, starting at Mirae Hall, through Changhak Hall, Dasan Hall, and Techno Cube and then back to Mirae Hall.

 

Autonomous vehicles are divided into a total of six levels (0-5) set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Level 4 is a conditional automation degree that allows self-driving without any human intervention. The system is capable of operating safely on its own under designated conditions. The autonomous shuttle can be boarded by all visitors, including members of our university and local residents. The maximum number of passengers is 12. Various data obtained through the operation of the autonomous vehicle will be collected from the campus control center and used to develop autonomous driving technology.

 

The institute is preparing to operate an additional autonomous shuttle from Hwarangdae Station to Nowon Light Garden. It will operate until late-night during the week A SpringCar turning around the Sang Sang Hall and evenings on weekends and holidays. It is expected to take about 15 minutes round trip, with a distance of 2.0 kilometers. In addition, the institute aims to establish and operate customized electric vehicle charging services and smart care services for vulnerable groups in Nowon-gu. The project will be promoted by Nowon-gu Office, KEPCO, KEPCO KDN, Spring Cloud and CNU Global as part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's 2021 Smart Campus Challenge project.

 

At the launching ceremony of the autonomous shuttle service, President of SeoulTech Donghoon Lee said, "In many countries, including Singapore, autonomous shuttle operations on campus are active. As part of building a smart campus, our autonomous shuttle will become a new asset for our university." Seungrok Oh, district mayor of Nowon, also delivered a congratulatory speech. "It is meaningful for SeoulTech to start operating self-driving shuttles ahead of the era of electric and self-driving cars. We will actively participate in the governments K-New Deal project and the MOLIT's Smart City project, and with the efforts here at SeoulTech, we will make Nowon-gu a great and safe smart city to live in."



 

Reporters,

Jehyeong Ryu qawsed864@seoultech.co.kr

Minju Kim alswn020716@g.seoultech.ac.kr

Yoojin Park dreamingloveyoo@seoultech.ac.kr