Autonomous driving technology company WeRide has just launched Southeast Asia’s first fully driverless Robobus service at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. This marks a significant milestone for the region, as the autonomous vehicle operates on public roads without any safety officer on board.
The launch follows a full year of successful trials where the Robobus operated with a safety officer, safely transporting tens of thousands of passengers. After extensive testing and assessments, WeRide received the green light from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) to remove the human supervisor.
“This launch marks a groundbreaking milestone for WeRide and the future of mobility in Southeast Asia. Deploying the region’s first fully driverless Robobus demonstrates that our vehicles are safe, reliable, and ready to transform public transportation at scale.
We value Singapore’s strong regulatory support and our close collaboration with local partners in making this launch possible, reflecting our global approach to working with progressive governments to bring autonomous driving technology into real-world operations.”
Jennifer Li, CFO and Head of International, WeRide.
The Robobus services a 12-minute fixed loop, connecting key destinations within the resort including Equarius Hotel, Hotel Michael, Hotel Ora, and The Galleria. Before this, the vehicle was already notable for being Singapore’s first autonomous bus operating on public roads without a steering wheel or pedals.
How it works
Safety first
The Robobus has achieved a zero-incident safety record, underpinned by a sophisticated array of remote operations and onboard technology.
360-degree vision
An integrated setup of LIDARs, cameras, and sensors provides a complete view of the environment, capable of detecting obstacles from over 200 metres away.
This development aligns with Singapore’s national vision to integrate autonomous vehicles into its public transport network by the end of 2025. To support this, WeRide has also established a local R&D centre to further advance its AV technology.
“AV technology is an exciting development that has the potential to shape the future of mobility. WeRide is an example of how AV companies can partner with Singapore to undertake AV trials and R&D, and create new jobs such as software development engineers, machine learning engineers and data scientists. We continue to welcome interest from companies to partner with us in driving AV innovation.”
Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President, EDB.
“LTA has been working with WeRide to facilitate autonomous shuttle trials at Resorts World Sentosa. As part of LTA’s AV assessment framework… they may proceed to remove the onboard safety operator requirement and replace it with constant remote monitoring instead.
LTA will continue to work closely with companies that seek to deploy AVs to alleviate manpower constraints, increase productivity and enhance transport connectivity,”
Lam Wee Shann, Deputy Chief Executive (Technology) and Chief Technology Officer at LTA.
This isn’t WeRide’s only play in Singapore, with the company also deploying its autonomous Robosweeper vehicles for sanitation projects.
While there’s no word on when WeRide’s technology might make its way to Australian shores, this launch provides a fascinating look at the future of public transport. It demonstrates a clear pathway from trial to fully driverless commercial operation.
For more information, head to https://www.weride.ai/
