In recent years, Beijing's Haidian District has been at the forefront of self-driving technology, evidenced by a demonstration zone in the northern area of Zhongguancun Science City, also known as China's Silicon Valley.

The demonstration zone, covering 100 square kilometers, has opened 52 roads stretching 215.3 kilometers for autonomous vehicle testing. As of January 5, more than 4,880 self-driving road tests had been conducted totaling over 38,900 hours in the zone.

White cars with a "Pony.ai" logo emblazoned on the doors are frequently seen cruising roads in the zone. The Chinese self-driving start-up is thriving thanks to a convenient development environment.

A ride in the company's level four autonomous driving vehicle proved to be a stable and comfortable journey. There was still a human driver sitting at the steering wheel, but he would only step in under specific conditions.

The self-driving vehicle adheres to all traffic rules: using turn signals at intersections, stopping for pedestrians, slowing down and braking three seconds before a green light turns to yellow, etc.

The safe operation is supported by efficient integration of multiple sensors in the vehicles, according to a staff member of the technology unicorn company.

The performance of an autonomous minibus launched by another self-driving start-up, QCraft, also impressed visitors. The six-meter-long vehicle is equipped with four laser sensors, four cameras and one millimeter-wave radar unit at the front. In addition, one 64-line lidar sensor and one millimeter-wave radar unit are installed in the rear.

From a screen inside the vehicle dubbed "Longzhou ONE," passengers can see real-time traffic conditions captured by the sensors. The nine-seat self-driving minibus, if applied extensively, will help promote urban traffic micro-circulation and solve the "last mile" problem for commuters.