This is the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, trackless trains launched for the first time in Yibin, in the province of Sichuan, China. Instead of steel tracks, these trains run over tracks painted in white. Similar to self-driving cars developed around the world, the trains utilize GPS and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technologies in order to move precisely along the virtual tracks.
In the case of obstructions, such as accidents or traffic jams, the trams can temporarily leave their designated tracks to go around the obstacles. But this can only be initiated by the driver.
The ART runs on rubber wheels but has the speed (70kph), capacity and ride quality of light rails. The standard ART system is three carriages that can carry 300 people, but it can take five carriages and 500 people if needed. The train is powered by lithium–titanate batteries and can travel a distance of 40 km per full charge. The batteries can be recharged via current collectors at stations. The recharging time for a 3 to 5 km trip is only 30 seconds, and for a 25 km trip, it is about 10 minutes.
The future is now.
(Video Credit: The Paper 澎湃新闻/ YouTube)