This summer, you may be able to hail a self-driving car in Texas
This summer, you may be
able to hail a self-driving car in Texas
May 7, 2018
Starting in July, the self-driving startup Drive.ai will offer
on-demand robotic cars in Frisco, a suburb north of Dallas.
Behind
the wheel: Drive.ai plans to use the city as the test bed for a six-month
pilot of its vehicles, according to a post on Medium by Andrew Ng, a
leading AI expert and a Drive.ai board member.
Safety
first: The cars will be deployed only in a small area and on fixed
routes. They’ll be painted bright orange, with the words “self-driving vehicle”
printed on the sides, and include displays that can flash messages to
pedestrians, like “Waiting for you to cross.” Backup drivers will be in place
at first, with plans to shift over to a “chaperone” in the passenger seat and,
eventually, to remote operators overseeing multiple cars.
Why
it matters: Waymo has tested cars in Austin and offered rides to the public in
Phoenix, but this trial will be the first time a company has provided trips to
the public in the Lone Star State. After Uber’s fatal accident in March,
Drive.ai’s safety-first approach could help convince Texans to hop in.
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