Singapore’s Land Transit Authority and the software company nuTonomy are testing driverless taxis in the island nation. The open-ended pilot project allows riders to use nuTonomy’s ride-hailing app to flag a hack, then travel within a portion of the city-state’s business district. For safety, and to take data, a human engineer will ride along – but probably won’t split the fare.
Jaguar and Land Rover are among nuTonomy’s partners in the research, which also is under way in Michigan and the United Kingdom.
TRENDPOST: Driverless vehicles are getting a lot of attention, but the technological obstacles, not to mention liability issues, are still enormous. In an industry where mechanical recalls, ranging from airbags that won’t deploy to defects that cause engine fires, make news every day, the proliferation of driverless vehicles will be a slow evolution. However, the growth of driverless vehicle use will evolve quicker in commercial arenas, where trucks and transport vehicles can be better controlled within defined routes.