China successfully tested its auto-driving car on a piece of highway between the city of Beijing and Tianjin last weekend. This 114 km journey took the self-driving vehicle 85 minutes at an average speed of 79 km per hour. The car is able to sense its environment through radar placed on top and cameras installed within and outside. With GPS and updated maps it can navigate its own way to the final destination. Advanced control system helps to analysis the information received and decide best way to go, to identify obstacles around and to read road signs. This car was developed by China Research Institute of Military Transportation. It had only recently won the ‘Best Smart Transportation Vehicle’ Price awarded by China’s National Natural Sciences Foundation (NSFC).
China has started its auto-driving vehicle R&D in the early 1980s. The first successful model was developed in 1992.