Samsung Approved To Test Self-driving Cars On South Korean Roads

Samsung is the latest company to receive approval from the South Korean government to begin testing its self-driving tech on public roads in the country.

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport gave the OK on Monday, The Korea Herald reports, clearing the way for Samsung to start testing its modified Hyundai test car, which is equipped with sensor and camera equipment needed to run Samsung’s software for autonomous driving.

Hyundai was actually the first to gain approval to test autonomous tech on South Korean roads, having cleared the hurdle more than a year ago in February 2016. Regulations have also eased in that time: Companies can now test vehicles with just one human driver, where the rule when first implemented required at least two people on board during testing.

California is also looking to ease its requirements. South Korea’s recent rule changes also include laying the groundwork for allowing vehicles without any steering wheels or pedals, which is part of the proposed amendments to California regulations; Michigan recently passed a law that allows for the same.

Meanwhile, self-driving cars in Canada have a new designated test site in the province of Ontario: Stratford, which is also home to the annual Stratford Festival, an event celebrating Shakespearean and other stage plays. Autonomous vehicle testing in Stratford will provide a focal point for development done across six technology centers located at different points around the province before heading to the dramatic proving ground.

Stratford is relatively close to a number of Canada’s leading universities, including the University of Waterloo, where autonomous vehicle development is already well underway. It’s also within easy reach of many automaker technology hubs located in the province, and close enough to hand for large tech companies with significant engineering centers in Canada, including Google, which has a Waterloo engineering office.