The era of autonomous driving artificial intelligence (AI) and vehicle-road communication technology developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is being applied to actual public transportation, and the era of wide-area autonomous transportation connecting Daejeon and Sejong is truly dawning.

ETRI announced that it will begin the 'Daejeon Metropolitan City Autonomous Driving Pilot Operation Zone Passenger Transport Service' on the 30th in cooperation with Daejeon Metropolitan City and local autonomous driving specialized companies.

This project was launched to secure Daejeon's own autonomous driving technology capabilities and industrial ecosystem, centered around the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone, and to establish a regional autonomous driving transportation system in the Chungcheong region linked to Sejong and North Chungcheong Province.

The key is to apply the results of research and development to real-world road conditions and verify the commercial viability of autonomous public transportation.

The autonomous bus departs from KAIST and passes through Shinsegae Department Store, Daedeok High School, Hana Apartments, and Banseok Station before arriving at Sejong Terminal.

This route connects the subway and intercity buses, and is significant in that it goes beyond an experiential model to present a practical future public transportation service (MaaS).

The trial run will be free of charge on weekdays, with one round trip per day until the end of March. From April, the company plans to obtain a limited autonomous driving transportation license, transition to a paid passenger transportation service by the end of 2028, and expand the number of operations and stops.

This autonomous driving bus incorporates core source technologies acquired by ETRI through a national research and development project.

Representative examples include autonomous driving AI based on reinforcement learning, autonomous cooperative driving technology utilizing heterogeneous V2X communication, and cognitive and judgment AI technology that enables stable driving even in bad weather and irregular environments.

Through this, the vehicle was able to drive at a speed of 50 km/h in the city center and up to 80 km/h in the Sejong BRT section, proving the commercialization level of key functions such as lane keeping and sudden braking response.

The vehicle modification and operation were handled by Move2, a company affiliated with the ETRI Research Institute, while local companies such as Tesla Systems, Cuba, and Altist participated in the construction of the infrastructure and development of the control system.

In particular, a three-dimensional safety system that complements the blind spots of vehicle sensors was implemented by applying a real-world, high-precision 3D control system and AI-based V2X road monitoring technology.

ETRI and Daejeon City plan to fully open autonomous driving data accumulated through actual road driving to the private sector in the future.

The data is expected to be utilized by universities, research institutes, and startups for technology commercialization and talent development, contributing to the expansion of the mobility industry ecosystem.

ETRI's strategy is to use this demonstration as an opportunity to foster Daejeon as a key hub for autonomous driving research and development in Korea.