Student name: Jonathan Hu 1

Student ID: 20451552

Autonomous Bus

Public transportation has been prosperous these days, but the drivers are not
enough to accommodate vehicles and serve all of the passengers. Hence, the
Autonomous Bus was released. It has been undergoing some developments for years
and is finally going to be tested in some European cities in 2020. The bus will be
joining the real traffic environment as a part of the mass transportation system.

 Did new technology have to be created?

With the continuous population growth, restricted road and highway
constructions, and an insufficient number of drivers, for everyone to have a
better means of
transportation, the use of
the Autonomous Bus must
be implemented. Moreover,
aside from the above-
▲Structure of autonomous bus
mentioned reasons, using
the Autonomous Bus can
help the government and
bus companies lower their
developmental expenses.
The saved funds can be used
to build out new bus routes
and improve the
Autonomous Bus's current
model. Thus, providing a better and a safer way of transportation to the public.

 What did engineers do?

Autonomous bus has many complicated systems. Some programs are written by
engineers, others are completed by someone who is working in different fields.
But most of them should be
combined to serve the public.
For instance, when the bus is
 Student name: Jonathan Hu 2
Student ID: 20451552

driving on a road or exclusive bus lane, they still have to notice the traffic
signals. To achieve that, autonomous buses need to have some connections
with traffic signals.

After combing the systems, the next important thing is testing. Sometimes
engineers have thorough plans, but many problems come after tests. The
engineers have to find out them and figure out how to deal with them. For
example, if there’s a layer of snow on the road, lane dividers disappear. How will
the sensors follow those markings if water obscures the markings? Traffic signals
differ from places to places; engineers need to overcome this problem so that
the bus can travel to other state or province. If there is an emergency on the
bus, how the autonomous bus deals with this? And when an accident occurs,
who should be responsible for this? The passenger, the manufacturer, or the
assurance company? These questions need to be considered by engineers.

 What fields of engineering are involved?

An autonomous bus is in transportation engineering. It includes some important

▲Autonomous bus has been tested in Taiwan at nights
aspects, road design is one of them. It would be safer if the autonomous bus
traveling on an exclusive bus lane for the first few years. Another is selecting
places appropriate for a bus stop by using big data to find where people are
gathering so that the bus can produce the best results.

 Citations
https://interestingengineering.com/self-driving-vehicles-for-urban-mobility-deployed-in-
european-smart-cities
https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/what-is-autonomous-car.html
https://www.stengg.com/en/innovation/driving-into-the-future-with-autonomous-buses/
https://www.lileesystems.com/autonomous-buses/
https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/watercolor-autonomous-bus-with-isometric-
view_2588572.htm
https://i3.achangpro.com/img.computerdiy.com.tw/20200610144541_100.jpg
 Student name: Jonathan Hu 3
Student ID: 20451552

The autonomous bus is built with vast combinations of complex systems,

which are primarily composed of written programs done by engineers and other
professionals in other fields. But they have common ends that resulted in creating
the Autonomous Bus- to give the public a better commuting experience. The
Autonomous Bus still has a vast area for improvement. For instance, when it is
driving on a road or an exclusive bus lane, it still needs to have the specific
configuration to discern traffic signals. To achieve such a goal, the Autonomous Bus
must still undergo some upgrades that will enable it to distinguish the differences
between traffic signals.
After the complex combination of systems working hand-in-hand to make it
work properly, the Autonomous Bus still needs to be put under consecutive tests.
After all, it is a prototype. We cannot omit the fact that even if engineers conduct
various smart plans and tests, it may still eventuate to some undesirable results
that still need to be improved. Let’s have an example; if there is a layer of snow on
the road, lane dividers are bound to disappear because of it. This could pose a
problem because how will the Autonomous Bus sensors be able to track those
markings if they are being shrouded by snow?
Moreover, traffic signals may vary from one place to another. With the
previously stated samples, engineers must look for solutions that will address the
problems. So that the Autonomous Bus may be utilized and be able to travel to
other states and provinces. Another thing we may consider is when an emergency
happens inside it. How will the Autonomous Bus cater it? And when an accident
occurs, how will the bus take care of things? Would it be the liability of the
manufacturer or the bus company? The above-stated situations should be
considered by engineers.

The main engineering field that concerns the Autonomous Bus is

Transportation Engineering. The area primarily deals with the essential
aspects of transportation, such as road planning, designing,
construction, maintenance, and the operation of various transportation
facilities. Anything that involves transportation is under Transportation
 Student name: Jonathan Hu 4
Student ID: 20451552

Engineering.

Programming, Civil Engineering