Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport off to flying start
‘Jetman’ stirs up excitement among onlookers in Dubai City
Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) had Dubai City residents staring in amazement at the sight of a man strapped into a jetpack either soaring through the desert city’s skies, taking a ride in an autonomous test bus, walking through a Dubai Metro station and finally stepping into the exhibition halls at Dubai World Trade Centre on September 26, 2023.
The unexpected appearance by the ‘jetman’ was all to promote the third edition of the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport at Dubai World Trade Centre (September 26-27, 2023).
The two-day event features 10 entities representing global autonomous vehicle companies and UAE-based universities that qualified for the final round of Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport 2023 under the theme: self-driving buses.
Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport 2023 is being held under the patronages of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council.
World-first
The event, the first of its kind worldwide, is an international platform that collects self-driving transport professionals, including policymakers, technologists, researchers, and academics.
Through dialogues, seminars, and workshops, these experts share insights, explore best practices, and discuss the latest innovations in autonomous technology.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Dubai RTA, said: “Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport 2023 aims to expand self-driving transportation across the board.
“It [the event] encourages industry leaders to cope with the first and last-mile challenges facing public transport riders in reaching their final destinations, addresses traffic congestion, and drops in public transport ridership,” Al Tayer added.
Dubai RTA’s decision to designate self-driving buses as the central theme for Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport 2023 syncs with the Authority’s efforts to achieve Dubai’s smart self-driving transport strategy that seeks to transform 25% of mobility journeys in Dubai emirate into smart and driverless journeys by 2030.
Field tests analysis
Day one of the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport 2023 saw participants in the session titled ‘Journey of Success: Catalysing Innovation in Self-Driving Public Transport’ agreeing that the challenges encountered during the field tests of the Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport last August served as catalysts for heightened innovation in self-driving public transport vehicles.
The session saw engaging dialogues and opinions concerning the challenges encountered by the winners of the 2023 Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport, who were honoured by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Executive Council, during the opening ceremony of the 2023 edition of the congress.
All five speakers concluded that the challenges they encountered during the field tests conducted in Dubai last August predominantly revolved around the weather conditions, sand, dealing with other vehicles on the road, and pedestrian crossings.
They also discussed the accuracy of geographic mapping systems when influenced by weather factors.
Featured image: A session in progress at the 2023 Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport on September 26, 2023. Image: Dubai RTA
Last Updated on 10 months by Arnold Pinto
