[Courtesy of LG Uplus]
SEOUL -- Bluespace, a Silicon Valley startup that develops software systems for autonomous vehicles, joined hands with LG Upus (LGU+), a mobile carrier in South Korea, and two other firms to develop and commercialize a self-driving electric bus. They agreed to carry out demonstration by the third quarter of 2021.
Bluespace signed a memorandum of understanding with LG Upus (LGU+), Woojin Industrial Systems, which develops electric train parts and solutions, and MetroPlus. The first business cooperation model will be a self-driving electric bus using Woojin's electric bus, Bluespace's self-driving technology and LGU+'s vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology that allows self-driving cars to communicate with other cars and on-road facilities.
Along with a 5G network, LGU+ will provide safety-enhancing solutions such as a high-precision dynamic map and real-time kinematic (RTK) technology as well as a control system that can remotely check the operation status of self-driving buses. RTK positioning is a satellite navigation technique used to enhance the precision of position data.
Bluespace will provide software that can accurately recognize the surrounding environment, while MetroPlus will implement an integrated system that interconnects the interface between an electric bus and each solution.
LGU+ and its partners agreed to find business models that can link self-driving buses with smart cities. "We hope this business cooperation will greatly strengthen the competitiveness related to autonomous driving by gathering the technical skills of leading companies in various fields at home and abroad," said LGU+ new business head Cho Won-seok.