Driverless technology used in highway construction in NW China’s Gansu

Several unmanned road rollers were put into use in late May on the construction site of a highway connecting Lingtai and Huating, both in northwest China’s Gansu province, according to the province’s transportation department.

Unmanned road rollers work busily on the construction site of a highway in northwest China’s Gansu province. (Photo provided by Gansu's department of transportation)

This was the first time that unmanned vehicles had been used for highway construction in the province.

These rollers can collect information on the surrounding environment through the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and sensing equipment installed on them, which help plan the optimal operation path.

(Photo provided by Gansu's department of transportation)

(Photo provided by Gansu's department of transportation)

In addition, the operation path has a margin of precision of just 2 to 3 centimeters, which can greatly improve construction quality and efficiency.

These unmanned vehicles also have features including automatic early warning, emergency stop, and autonomous obstacle avoidance.