Smart steps set to boost self-driving

Intelligent highways to provide reliable testing environment for autonomous vehicles

Autonomous driving has entered the next stage of development in China with several regions coming together to build the world's first "smart" highway, enabling the nation to gain a toehold in intelligent connected vehicles.

Earlier this week, a highway project dedicated to autonomous vehicles was launched in Shandong province. The 26-kilometer highway, built with technologies needed for unmanned driving including 5G systems, three-dimensional maps and road sensors, will be opened in September this year.