The World's First Self-Driving Taxi Hits the Streets in Singapore
NuTonomy just beats Uber to win the race.
Despite being a lesser-known name amidst competitors like Uber, Google and Volvo, NuTonomy has made history as the first to put self-driving taxis on the road. With a starting total of six cars – modified Renault Zoes and Mitsubishi i-MiEVs — the MIT spinoff is offering rides to the public. The pilot scheme’s current scope is limited to pick-up and drop-off points within a 2.5-square-mile radius, as the taxis are undergoing their trial run. The taxis are fitted with six sets of Lidar laser detection systems, alongside two cameras on the dashboard to scan for obstacles and changes in traffic lights. NuTonomy has beaten its competitors to celebrate the significant milestone. Google and Volvo have been testing autonomous driving technologies for years; Uber has just lost the race as it plans to launch its own self-driven rides in Pittsburgh in the coming weeks. The company has stated that it intends to have a full self-driving fleet in operation in Singapore by 2018. See how Singaporean passengers react to the taxi above.
