Autonomous Vehicle vs. Human Mission Showdown and Test Drive Experience Events Also Held

Gyeonggi Province announced that it will host the '2017 Pangyo Autonomous Motor Show (PAMS 2017)' at Pangyo Zero City in Gyeonggi Province for four days from November 16 to 18.

Co-hosted by Gyeonggi Province and Seoul National University, jointly organized by KINTEX and the Next-Generation Convergence Technology Research Institute, and sponsored by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, this event serves as an opportunity for Gyeonggi Province to present autonomous driving technology to the general public one month ahead of launching the autonomous shuttle pilot operation in December. The actual autonomous unmanned shuttle will be unveiled at the opening ceremony on the 16th.

The motor show will feature diverse experiential programs and attractions including autonomous vehicle demonstrations and test drives, LEGO autonomous vehicle contests, and will also host an industrial exhibition and international forum showcasing industry trends related to autonomous driving and visions for future cities. In particular, the synchronized driving performance to be conducted at the motor show opening, featuring autonomous vehicles performing to music, is generating high expectations.

At the outdoor autonomous driving event venue, various events will take place including ▲ autonomous vehicle test drive experience, ▲ autonomous vehicle vs. human mission showdown, ▲ EV slalom competition, and ▲ university student E-Formula racing competition. In particular, the test drive experience where visitors can directly experience driving an autonomous vehicle through online pre-registration is expected to be a major attraction for spectators. The test drive experience will operate daily from 12:00 to 14:00 throughout the motor show period.

The autonomous vehicle vs. human mission showdown program will proceed with autonomous vehicles and humans competing to accurately perform driving missions under various traffic conditions including dodging falling objects, recognizing construction signs and pedestrians, and observing speed limits. Through advance application, 10 different drivers will be selected to compete against the autonomous vehicle, including novice drivers, female drivers, elderly drivers, drivers with more than 5 years of experience, and professional race car drivers. Participants for the EV slalom competition will also be selected through advance registration.

The university student E-Formula racing competition is an event where students majoring in automotive engineering and mechatronics from domestic universities compete using Formula racing cars equipped with E-powertrains they manufactured themselves. During the motor show period, starting and braking tests, autocross evaluating vehicle agility and handling, endurance races on long-distance circuits, and presentation scores on vehicle design will be combined to select the winning team, with prize money worth 10 million won provided.

Additionally, the LEGO autonomous vehicle competition targeting elementary and middle/high school students will be held over two days (17th and 18th) in the International Seminar Room on the first floor of the Enterprise Support Hub. Participating teams must prepare intelligent robot vehicles that have been pre-programmed and assembled, and robots will compete by autonomously making decisions and performing missions on the track including driving, parallel parking, and navigating uneven sections without human intervention.

In addition, various smart mobility devices including electric scooters, electric bicycles, electric boards, and electric wheels will be exhibited in the outdoor parking lot area, with demonstration events utilizing these devices planned to take place.

Industrial Exhibition and International Forum to Showcase Autonomous Driving Related Technologies and the Future

An industrial exhibition will be held on the first floor of the Enterprise Support Hub with participation from domestic and international organizations and companies including IT companies and research institutes related to the autonomous driving industry. It will operate with a themed pavilion showcasing Gyeonggi Province's future city vision including Pangyo Zero City, and a business pavilion where domestic and international complete vehicle manufacturers and IT companies will showcase autonomous driving related technologies including autonomous vehicles, image sensor modules, ADAS technology, V2X (wireless communication between vehicles), and artificial intelligence, with an event pavilion also prepared where various experiential events related to autonomous vehicles will take place.

Additionally, an international forum will be held over two days starting from the 16th in the multipurpose hall on the third floor of the Enterprise Support Hub, inviting government, academia-industry-research representatives, and global experts to discuss the 4th Industrial Revolution and autonomous driving industry development. Special sessions will feature presentations of new technologies and idea products from autonomous driving related companies, and a session introducing Pangyo Zero City business models, a key initiative of Gyeonggi Province, will also be organized.

Lim Jong-chul, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Economy Bureau, stated "As this is an autonomous driving motor show, we have structured it around experiential programs where motor show participants can directly experience autonomous vehicles," adding "As this motor show is held one month before Korea's first autonomous vehicle pilot operation to be launched at Pangyo Zero City in December, we expect it will heighten social interest in autonomous vehicles."

Pangyo Zero City, where this motor show will be held, is a future-oriented smart city where automobiles and urban environments exchange information through information and communications technology (ICT). Gyeonggi Province named it 'ZERO' to reflect its determination to create a city free of regulations, accidents, risks, missing persons, environmental pollution, and carbon emissions. In particular, it plans to establish an open platform-based autonomous vehicle demonstration complex to conduct autonomous vehicle testing and technology research.