[Shockwave] Singapore, Global Autonomous Driving Gateway and "Technology Test Bed"

Nanyang Technological University and the government jointly build autonomous driving validation capabilities

Companies from around the world gain operating opportunities; Singapore gains assessment experience

South Korean startup Autonomous A2Z also takes on the challenge

The competitiveness of the autonomous driving era is not determined solely by the ability to develop and manufacture vehicles. It is also important to be able to decide which technologies are ready for the road and to build up information and experience gained from actual operations as a national asset.

Seong Donghyung, head of Autonomous A2Z's Singapore branch, poses with Roy, an autonomous vehicle. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist.

Singapore, a city-state that may seem far removed from vehicle manufacturing, is attracting autonomous driving companies from around the world and expanding its role from vehicle production to technology testing.

The Hyundai Motor Group Global Innovation Center (HMGICS), which opened in 2023, is a production hub. The initial batch of IONIQ 5 Robotaxis made there was sent to U.S.-based Motional for testing and safety validation ahead of deployment in service. This laid the groundwork for producing and exporting autonomous vehicles by attracting foreign companies' technology and investment.

Singapore has also established a system for evaluating and supervising vehicles that will operate on its roads. The arrangement gives companies an opportunity to test their technology and launch businesses, while Singapore gains solutions to transportation and workforce challenges, as well as experience managing new technologies.

The Asia Business Daily visited the Singapore Centre of Excellence for Testing and Research of Autonomous Vehicles (CETRAN), where it rode in a vehicle operated by South Korean company Autonomous A2Z to see how the process works.

◆Waymo also undergoing local validation...Requirements for taking to the road checked firsthand

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet that operates driverless taxis in the United States, is preparing to enter Singapore. Waymo has also signaled plans to enter South Korea. In September, Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced Waymo's plans to enter the market and specified that it must meet local safety and regulatory requirements. Waymo aims to begin commercial ride-hailing services in 2028, following a preparatory phase in 2027 during which people will drive the vehicles.

Although Waymo has gained operating experience in the United States, it must prepare its vehicles to operate under Singapore's road layout, traffic rules, and climate. LTA requires all autonomous vehicles to undergo a safety assessment at CETRAN before being deployed on public roads. This means that a global company's technological capabilities and its qualifications to operate on local roads are assessed separately.

Before Waymo, China's WeRide and Pony.ai were already operating autonomous vehicles in Singapore. Grab uses WeRide's autonomous driving platform, while ComfortDelGro uses Pony.ai's technology. This is a model in which foreign technology companies partner with local transport operators to provide services.

Companies are drawn to Singapore because its environment allows them to turn technology validation into actual business. The assessment process and operating conditions are set out, and companies can work with local operators that have passengers and vehicle operating networks.

CETRAN serves as a gateway for validating technology in this process. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is responsible for research, test track operations, and vehicle assessments, while LTA authorizes and supervises road operations. The system links the university's research capabilities with the government's road-use authorization and oversight framework.

◆Repeating the same scenarios...From normal driving to responding to anomalies

A vehicle operated by South Korean autonomous driving startup Autonomous A2Z is driving at an autonomous driving license test site in Singapore. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist.

At the CETRAN test facility, Roi (ROii), Autonomous A2Z's Level 4 autonomous vehicle, drove itself. Level 4 is a stage of autonomous driving in which a vehicle operates on its own without driver intervention within designated areas and conditions. Roi did not even have a steering wheel.

The vehicle stopped and started in response to traffic signals and drove through intersections on its own. It continued smoothly along curved sections of the course. It also made left turns on its own without difficulty. Seong Dong-hyeong, Autonomous A2Z's Singapore branch head, who rode in the vehicle with the reporter, explained, "It has to stop at the stop line every time before moving on." It may sound obvious, but it is not easy.

The test course looks simple, like a practical driving test for people. But completing the course safely once is not enough to pass the assessment. The explanation continued that actual tests examine in various ways how the vehicle responds when it encounters stationary obstacles and moving pedestrians.

In actual tests, a dummy playing the role of a pedestrian is set to move under specific conditions. For example, it may be made to start moving the moment the vehicle passes a designated point, or its approach speed may be varied. Conditions must be controlled and the driving process recorded so that evaluators can compare where the vehicle was and what it did.

Consistency under the same conditions is also important. Even if a vehicle stops in front of an obstacle, it is difficult to assess its safety if its stopping position varies significantly from one test to another.

Vehicles must also be prepared to respond to abnormal situations. If they detect a technical issue, such as a loss of communication, they must alert an operator with visual and audible warnings and hand over control. In other words, the assessment examines both performance during normal driving and the response system for when problems arise.

Vehicle information is displayed on a monitor as a vehicle operated by South Korean startup Autonomous A2Z drives around an autonomous driving test site in Singapore. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist.

It is common for human drivers to fail their driving tests. What about autonomous vehicle licensing tests? Seong said, "Even among Chinese companies, some have not been able to obtain a license in Singapore on their first try." In other words, companies may need to make a second or even a third attempt to obtain an autonomous vehicle license.

◆From street sweepers to resident shuttles...Deployed where they are actually needed

Street sweepers and trucks were also visible at CETRAN. The sight of these vehicles preparing for tests alongside passenger vehicles showed the purpose behind Singapore's adoption of autonomous driving. As Singapore grapples with an aging population, applying autonomous vehicles to repetitive work such as logistics and cleaning could also help address labor shortages.

"I think Singapore is considering what is actually needed and what can be commercialized quickly," Seong said, describing the local environment.

In government procurement projects, officials in charge also examine the technology and operating plans in detail. Seong said that when his company participated in local projects, the officials reviewed the relevant technology, held several meetings with the company, and checked its proposals. The process involves clearly specifying the services the government wants and assessing whether the proposed technology and operating model can deliver them.

Autonomous driving technology was introduced to resident shuttle services in Punggol, a new town in Singapore, through this process. Grab and WeRide launched services for the general public in April this year, and ComfortDelGro and Pony.ai began offering rides to the public in June. The shuttles connect residential areas, community facilities, and public transport hubs.

The scale of operations is also set to expand. In September, Grab announced that it would increase its fleet from 10 vehicles to 50 over the following six months. It is also pursuing plans to extend services beyond Punggol, subject to approval from the authorities.

◆Companies gain business opportunities...Singapore gains assessment data and experience

By adopting autonomous driving technology from foreign companies, Singapore is doing more than simply securing a new mode of transportation. Through CETRAN, Nanyang Technological University, a Singaporean university, researches how autonomous driving systems should operate and develops testing requirements and assessment methods. By assessing vehicles from different companies, it gets the opportunity to examine what situations they are vulnerable to and what needs to be checked before they are deployed on roads.

A system has also been established for the authorities to review information from the test facility. According to a government announcement issued when the CETRAN test facility opened in 2017, CCTV footage was to be transmitted in real time to LTA's Intelligent Transport Systems Centre and used alongside vehicle data for assessment. This connects testing at the university facility with the government's evaluation of vehicles' readiness for road operations.

Data submission continues after vehicles take to the road. According to LTA's guidelines for applications to test vehicles on public roads, operators must submit designated operational data, including location, speed, and driving mode, to the authorities' autonomous vehicle monitoring system by the day after each day of operation. Submitting operational records is itself a condition of test operations.

Operators must also retain detailed records, including interior and exterior video footage and information on obstacle detection. The same guidelines require records to be kept throughout the testing period and for at least three years after it ends, and to be submitted for investigations, inspections, or audits if LTA makes a written request. Regularly submitted operating information and detailed records available for review when needed together provide a basis for oversight. Seong explained, "Because we do not know when or how the authorities will check, we have to document the evidence in detail."

This does not mean that companies must hand over their entire algorithms or training data to the Singapore government. The authorities obtain information that allows them to verify where and how a vehicle moved and what happened in an abnormal situation.

Under this model, the adoption of foreign technology helps Singapore build up its assessment and operational capabilities. Universities research ways to test and assess vehicles, while the government uses operating data to establish a basis for decisions on authorization and oversight. Local transport operators carry passengers and gain experience in dispatch, fleet control, and vehicle management.

Hyundai Motor Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS) produced and exported autonomous vehicles. The hood of the IONIQ 5 Robotaxi produced at Hyundai Motor Group's Singapore Global Innovation Center bears the signature of Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist.

Waymo, regarded alongside Tesla as one of the two leading Western autonomous driving companies, must also have its technology validated according to local standards to operate in Singapore. After launching operations, it must also keep records that allow the results to be reviewed. As autonomous driving companies from around the world build their track records on Singapore's roads, Singapore is building up its ability to select and manage the technology. This is how Singapore, once a place with little vehicle manufacturing, is adapting to the autonomous driving era.

Meanwhile, Autonomous A2Z also began trial operations on October 7 for its autonomous bus, the GM1, in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The GM1 operates on a 24-kilometer round-trip route connecting Cheolsan Station, Gwangmyeong Station, and Gwangmyeong Cave. Residents and visitors can use the service to travel between the neighborhood around Cheolsan Station, the regional transport hub of KTX Gwangmyeong Station, and the major tourist attraction Gwangmyeong Cave.

Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of Autonomous A2Z, said, "To commercialize autonomous driving, it is important to expand services that people can conveniently use on routes they actually need to travel. We will provide the vehicles and technology needed for the autonomous driving pilot service in Gwangmyeong to connect residents' neighborhoods with transport and tourism hubs, and work to introduce demand-responsive autonomous driving services in more areas."

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