Chinese self-driving train runs along painted lines instead of a track

China keeps us on our toes when it comes to infrastructure development and new transportation ideas. (We still haven’t forgotten the car-swallowing bus meant to help commuters surpass snarled traffic on China’s highways.)

You can add this to the list: This recently unveiled self-driving train—called ART for ‘autonomous rapid rail transit’—doesn’t run on a traditional track. Instead, it rolls along on rubber tires, using sensors to plan and monitor its route along a path painted with road dividing lines.

ART—developed by a rail company in the central Chinese city of Zhuzhou, CRRC—can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers an hour (or about 43 miles per hour) and accommodates up to 500 riders. To boot, ART can travel 40 kilometers (roughly 24.8 miles) on a single electric charge.

The train is expected to roll out in Zhuzhou in 2018.

Via: Designboom