The unmanned minibus, Robobus, crafted by a Chinese self-driving startup, is poised to debut on the streets of Turin, nestled at the base of the Alps, offering convenient short-distance transport solutions. Guizhou Hankaisi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (PIX Moving), the brains behind Robobus, will collaborate with Tecnocad, an Italian mobile travel solution provider, to roll out the service. With a public road self-driving vehicle test and operation license secured from the regulatory authorities of the Turin municipal government, PIX Moving gears up for this innovative venture.

The company said it has exported a Robobus model via marine transport to Turin, where it will undergo field tests before being put into service. More exports are expected depending on service demand. Based in a high-tech development zone in Guiyang, PIX Moving’s core product, the driverless minibus, has already landed in countries including Spain, Japan, the United States and India.

The pure-electric vehicle has no traditional bus components like a driver’s cab, steering wheel, pedals or rearview mirrors. And it is designed symmetrically, without the distinction of front and rear, making it easy to move in both directions. Robobus has a maximum speed of 30 km per hour. It can carry six passengers, with a range of 100-130 km on a single charge.

“The bottom of the minibus is an open source autonomous driving chassis. It is based on an independent modular platform, built with artificial intelligence technology and digital manufacturing technology, which can be installed with systems for different needs of customized services,” said Angelo Yu, founder and CEO of PIX Moving.