World’s first self-driving taxi launches trial run in Singapore
- 8 years ago
SINGAPORE — A Singaporean company has launched the world’s first self-driving taxi in the island nation, beating out Uber and other giants.
The public run comes days after Uber announced plans for a new driverless service in Pittsburgh. The ride-sharing giant had been set to launch the service using Volvo SUVs fitted with an autonomous driving system by the end of August.
The Straits Times reports that on Thursday, startup nuTonomy started a trial run using two electric vehicles: a Mitsubishi i-Miev, and a Renault Zoe. Both are equipped with Lidar technology that uses lasers to map out its environment. Inside the vehicle are two mounted cameras that are meant to detect obstacles on the road and traffic lights.
The service currently runs within a 6-kilometer route in Singapore’s One-North Business Park. Users need be invited to be part of the trial program, and then register to a phone app which they will then use to request rides. Though only open to about a dozen people so far, the trial program is expected to expand to accommodate thousands within a few months.
Rides are free during the trial run, and a driver will be in the vehicle with the passenger to serve as backup in case of any emergencies.
The company, founded by two Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, is hoping to expand the fleet to about a hundred by 2018, and believes the driverless taxis could reduce cars on the road from 900,000 to 300,000.
The public run comes days after Uber announced plans for a new driverless service in Pittsburgh. The ride-sharing giant had been set to launch the service using Volvo SUVs fitted with an autonomous driving system by the end of August.
The Straits Times reports that on Thursday, startup nuTonomy started a trial run using two electric vehicles: a Mitsubishi i-Miev, and a Renault Zoe. Both are equipped with Lidar technology that uses lasers to map out its environment. Inside the vehicle are two mounted cameras that are meant to detect obstacles on the road and traffic lights.
The service currently runs within a 6-kilometer route in Singapore’s One-North Business Park. Users need be invited to be part of the trial program, and then register to a phone app which they will then use to request rides. Though only open to about a dozen people so far, the trial program is expected to expand to accommodate thousands within a few months.
Rides are free during the trial run, and a driver will be in the vehicle with the passenger to serve as backup in case of any emergencies.
The company, founded by two Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers, is hoping to expand the fleet to about a hundred by 2018, and believes the driverless taxis could reduce cars on the road from 900,000 to 300,000.