China’s Homegrown GPS to Support Advance Autonomous Driving
China has launched 23 satellites to support its aim for global navigation and positioning network coverage by 2020. The government will promote the state-developed Beidou Navigation Satellite System as the standard configuration for vehicle-navigation devices and smartphones, according to a plan issued Friday by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Transport.
The Ministry is encouraging automakers to install its Global Positioning System and advance autonomous driving technology as part of a broader push to upgrade the country’s transportation sector.
The policy also encourages carmakers to install anti-collision warning systems and develop the technology essential to autonomous driving through the use of big data and cloud computing. Private investment will be encouraged in the construction and operation of intelligent transport systems, according to the plan.
With a total of 285 million motor vehicles on its roads as of the end of June, installing the Beidou on China’s vehicle fleet will greatly increase the civilian use of the positioning system. The transport ministry directed nine provinces in 2013 to install Beidou on buses and vehicles transporting hazardous materials, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Bloomberg
