À̹ÌÁö È®´ë [Photo provided by Hyundai Motor Co.]
Calling up the nearest or fastest bus has become possible at the international district zone of Yeongjongdo, Incheon nearby Korea¡¯s main air gateway.
Hyundai Motor Co. and local authorities have begun test service of a new-concept public transportation service in Yeongjongdo, Incheon where buses can be called up via mobile app Incheon-Mobility on Demand (I-MOD).
Hyundai Motor in cooperation with Incheon Metropolitan City tests out the I-MOD service with eight 16-seater Hyundai Solati vehicles for the next two months in Yeongjongdo.
The buses will drive between 350 stops on demand without fixed route, based on the artificial intelligence technology and algorithms, the automaker said. Passengers can use the bus at Incheon International Airport stops, but the service area is limited to Yeongjongdo.
If a person inputs the origin and destination on the app, a bus will be deployed to a bus stop that is the nearest to the passenger. This service will allow passengers on similar routes to share the bus, enhancing efficiency of bus riding by reducing waiting and travel time based on its flexible operation, the company expected. The algorithms and AI technologies will optimize the intervals between buses, helping improve ridership of buses operating on some low ridership routes, it added.
For the trial service, Hyundai Motor has developed the core technology such as the algorithms for optimal traffic route guidance based on AI technology. The development of the I-MOD platform and app was led by its sibling Hyundai AutoEver, the in-house IT unit of Hyundai Motor Group.
Hyundai Motor plans to expand the service offering to other areas after reviewing the test results. It also is preparing to offer its electric scooter-sharing service I-Zet in pairs to provide last-mile mobility solution.
By Kang Gye-man and Lee Ha-yeon
[¨Ï Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]