AI to thrive in Lingang

The development of artificial intelligence in Lingang is set to accelerate with the implement of the 50 policies unveiled by the Shanghai government on Friday, industry insiders said during the ongoing World Artificial Intelligence Conference. 

One policy stood out as it stated Lingang will fully support the research and development of intelligent connected vehicles (ICV), a relatively new idea that combines artificial intelligence and Internet of Things.

ICV refers to driverless cars where information can be shared among all other cars in the region so they can all run safely and efficiently.

At the Automatic Drive Forum 2019, insiders and practitioners from the AI, Internet and automobile industries outlined the future of Lingang as a hub where AI applications will thrive in every detail of people’s daily lives.

Gu Changshi, chief industry planner of the Lingang Pilot Free Trade Zone Area, said: “Many people may have noticed that at the opening ceremony of WAIC, ICV was one of the four key aspects of AI that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology highlighted.”

Lingang is now building the first test areas for unmanned aerial vehicles, cars and vessels. On August 23, the Shanghai Lingang Autonomous and Informationalized Vehicle Integrative Testing and Demonstration Zone opened, marking another step in the area’s exploration of ICV.

The testing and demonstration zone has built 26.1 kilometers of road for open-air testing, 3 square kilometers of space for closed road testing including simulation of expressways, tunnels and a data center.

The testing area is more than just for driverless cars, but also for intelligent traffic control. The Lingang booth at the WAIC gave the visitors a glimpse of what the future may be for traffic in the area. 

A simulated crossroad was displayed on the floor in the booth, the road had no zebra crossing, but as soon as a man stepped onto the crossroad, a laser zebra crossing was projected on the floor and all cars would automatically stop. The system used AI cameras to determine whether pedestrians wanted to cross the road or not.

Gu said Lingang has innate advantages for such a test zone, as it is not far from the Pudong International Airport. Meanwhile, the area is closed to the Donghai Bridge as well as the expressway, which can be good places to do test for driverless cars.

“We will soon start testing self-driving trucks on the Donghai Bridge,” Gu said. He added that in the future, the radiation effect of the zone will reach out further to the Yangshan Deep Water Port.