Team Neemopani
Turin, nestled at the base of the Alps, is set to embrace the future of urban transport with the introduction of Robobus, an unmanned minibus developed by the Chinese startup Guizhou Hankaisi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (PIX Moving). In collaboration with Italian mobility solutions provider Tecnocad, PIX Moving aims to revolutionize short-distance transportation in the city.
Having secured a license for public road testing and operations from the Turin municipal government, PIX Moving is advancing China’s aspirations in the field of autonomous driving. The company, which operates out of a high-tech zone in Guiyang, has already made significant inroads internationally, deploying its driverless minibuses in countries such as Spain, Japan, the United States, and India.
The Robobus model, which was shipped to Turin for field testing, could see wider export depending on the demand for its services. This electric vehicle eschews traditional design elements like a driver’s cab, steering wheel, pedals, and rearview mirrors, and is uniquely symmetric, allowing it to navigate effortlessly in either direction.
Designed for maximum utility and minimal hassle, the Robobus can transport six passengers and travel between 100-130 km on a single charge, with a top speed of 30 km per hour. Angelo Yu, the founder and CEO of PIX Moving, explained that the minibus’s underpinnings are revolutionary: “The base of the Robobus is an open-source autonomous driving chassis, constructed using an independent modular platform that incorporates AI and digital manufacturing technologies. This allows for the installation of various systems tailored to meet specific service requirements.”
As Turin prepares to welcome the Robobus, the city steps closer to a future where technology and traditional boundaries of vehicle design merge to create smarter, cleaner urban mobility solutions.
