Autonomous A2Z Launches Pilot Operation of Autonomous Bus in Gwangmyeong

Connecting Cheolsan Station to Major Tourist Destinations
Lidar Communication Systems Installed at Intersections
Free Rides for All Passengers Until Year-End

Autonomous A2Z, a company specializing in autonomous driving, has launched a demonstration project for autonomous public transportation in Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province, aimed at connecting major public transport and tourism hubs.

Autonomous AtoZ's autonomous driving bus GM1 operating in Gwangmyeong City. Autonomous AtoZ

Autonomous A2Z announced that, starting from October 7, it has begun a pilot program for its autonomous driving bus, GM1, in Gwangmyeong City.

The newly established GM1 route covers a round-trip distance of 24 kilometers, linking Cheolsan Station, Gwangmyeong Station, and Gwangmyeong Cave. By organically connecting the residential area near Cheolsan Station, Gwangmyeong Station—a hub for Korea Train Express (KTX) high-speed rail—and the popular tourist attraction Gwangmyeong Cave, the service aims to improve transportation convenience for both residents and visitors.

The deployed vehicle is a 14-seater eco-friendly electric bus (Hyundai County EV) equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology. The vehicle features four lidars, eight cameras, and one radar, ensuring comprehensive perception and minimizing blind spots. For safety, a safety driver, who can manually operate the vehicle in an emergency, and a service manager, who assists with passenger boarding, are present on board.

A notable aspect of this project is the enhanced driving safety achieved by integrating not only the vehicle's sensors but also road infrastructure. The company has installed its ‘Lidar Infrastructure System (LIS)’ at two key intersections on the route: at the Gwangmyeong Costco intersection and in front of Soha Public Parking Lot. At each location, a 128-channel lidar, an industrial PC, and 5G communication equipment have been set up to detect unexpected situations involving pedestrians and others, delivering real-time information to the vehicle.

The pilot service operates twice a day, round trip, every week from Wednesday to Sunday, excluding public holidays. Departures from Cheolsan Station are at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, while departures from Gwangmyeong Cave are at 11:40 AM and 3:40 PM. Operations are maintained on weekends to improve accessibility to tourist destinations. Passengers can board freely at any stop along the route without prior reservation, and the ride is free of charge. The pilot program will run until December 2026 and, depending on results, the company will consider expanding the service. As of October 2026, Autonomous A2Z’s cumulative driving distance has reached a domestic record of 1.15 million kilometers.

Ji-Hyung Han, CEO of Autonomous A2Z, stated, "For the commercialization of autonomous driving, it is crucial to expand services that can be conveniently used on routes where citizens actually need to travel. By providing the vehicles and technology required for Gwangmyeong City’s autonomous pilot program, we are connecting local communities with transportation and tourism hubs. We will continue our efforts to introduce demand-driven autonomous services in more regions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.