News

1 December, 2021: After the launch of Asia’s first laboratory of sustainable development in Asia, “SDG Lab by Thammasat & AIS” at the end of last year, it has been a development hub of deploying 5G digital tech to build the foundations of sustainability. This is improving quality of life to power the country, which will eventually become the urban society of the Smart City. One of these successes has been the development of a sustainable city with a prototype smart transportation system, the “autonomous electric vehicle” using 100% electric propulsion on a smart AIS 5G network. This has been providing a trial pick-up/drop-off service at the Thammasat University campus for students and university personnel, who get to experience the world of the future.

Wasit Wattanasap, Head of Nationwide Operation and Support Department at AIS commented, “This cooperation with Thammasat University to develop SDG Lab by Thammasat & AIS confirms our commitment to our mission or providing digital services that improve people’s lives. We are unlocking the potential of this technology to enable sustainable growth of the social and environmental contexts and ways of living.

“Our teams of engineers have been working to further the objectives of SDG Lab, such as Smart Farm systems which use technology to efficiently manage farm water. There has been the development of local transportation and security systems and security systems in the area, applying 5G tech to sustainable urban development. We have now been extremely successful in applying 5G digital technology to develop an autonomous public transportation system, the Autonomous EV Car. This highly efficient solution provides maximum safety for passengers and other road users to international standards on the lightning-fast AIS 5G network, with low latency enabling the vehicle to drive stably an efficiently serve local transportation needs.”

Autonomous EV Car public transport system is an 100% electric-powered vehicle seating 7 pasengers, installed with sensors and computing hardware enabling the use of control software to drive the vehicle autonomously in two formats:

• Auto-Pilot mode over the AIS 5G network picking up and dropping off passengers from various specified trial locations. The sensors in the system highlight safety along the route in every direction.
• Virtual Control mode enables control of the vehicle through a simulator with 360° streaming camera coverage over the AIS 5G network. Driver Assistance Systems verify full safety.

Assoc Prof Dr Pisanu Toochinda, Vice Rector for Sustainability and Administration (Rangsit Center), Thammasat University, explained, “The university has goals to work with a range of private sector partners to develop into the Smart University, a university for the people and for sustainability. This launch of the autonomous electric vehicle service is the application of technology to innovate for the benefit of every party, especially creating a transportation system inside the university, which provides convenience to students and university personnel. It is a starting point of achieving the university’s goals to create the Smart City, which is coming soon.

Asst Prof Dr Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, Chairman of Puey Centenary Park Committee, Thammasat University added, “Throughout the year of our collaboration with AIS, we have furthered the mission of SDG Lab by Thammasat & AIS to create a space for innovation. We are implementing modern technology to address social and environmental issues and to promote sustainable development. Today we see the tangible result of the smart autonomous electric vehicle. This is powered by the 5G network, and uses innovations in electrical energy to provide as a trial pick-up and drop-down service for students and university personnel in the campus, who are experiencing the technology together.

Wasit concluded, “5G has the potential to make other connections and benefits for Thai people. The autonomous EV, which has been undergoing trials as an internal transportation system for Thammasat University, is a key step in determining the trends of tomorrow, using technology as the motor for urban management. Many local areas around the country will also become fully-featured Smart Cities”