[SINGAPORE] SBS Transit buses may soon be equipped with intelligent braking systems designed to reduce the sharp jolts that current emergency brakes may cause, the public transport company said in on Sunday (May 11).
Known as the responsive and adaptive braking system (RABS), the system enables emergency brakes to decelerate more gradually and with greater control, unlike conventional emergency braking systems that lock when applied.
“This abrupt movement may cause passengers who are seated to be thrown forward while those who are standing to lose their balance – sometimes leading to injuries,” the statement noted.
The company said that it had signed a memorandum of understanding in April with Chinese artificial intelligence of things leader Streamax, as well as Singapore-based surveillance provider TNT Surveillance, to develop RABS.
Such a system would be the first of its kind for buses, the company noted. The system is scheduled for a pilot launch in the first half of 2026.
SBS Transit said that as traffic is dynamic in nature, RABS will be able to constantly adapt its braking parameters in response to bus speed, congestion levels and weather or road conditions, to enable the driver to keep a safe distance.
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RABS will use radar sensors and cameras to act as a “co-pilot”, monitoring the vehicle’s surroundings continuously to detect hazards, such as a car swerving into the bus lane or a pedestrian stepping in front of the bus.
“The system will respond within 40 milliseconds, more than 35 times faster than the average human time,” SBS Transit said. This would prevent accidents while causing minimal disturbance to passengers, reducing the likelihood of them being thrown off balance or injured, it added.
If a collision is unavoidable, the system would automatically moderate the braking force to reduce its impact, lowering injury risk and minimising damage to the vehicle.
Real-time data will also be transmitted by RABS to bus operational control centres, through live video feeds, precise locations and incident details, SBS Transit said. This would enable its operations team to improve response times and situational awareness during incidents.
SBS Transit has increasingly tapped technology to enhance safety systems in recent years, with RABS joining existing systems such as the dashboard-mounted fatigue detector Golden Eye and a 360-degree collision warning system.
“RABS will work in tandem with existing systems, reinforcing our ongoing commitment to leveraging smart technologies to enhance safety for our bus captains and passengers alike,” the company added.
Jeffrey Sim, group chief executive of SBS Transit, said: “We continually invest in technologies to elevate safety standards – not just for ourselves, but also across the public transport industry.”
