These Hardware Devices May Bring Robot Taxi To The World

Over the past decade, we’ve seen a significant change in the taxi industry. Companies like Uber and Lyft have used apps to connect passengers with on-demand taxi service. Thanks to Tesla, the taxi industry may be about to change much more dramatically very soon. Robot taxi technology might be here sooner than you would ever guess.

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Robot Taxi Technology: Functionally Ready in 2020?

Companies like Google and Tesla have tested self-driving car technology for years. Yet these technologies are still far from widespread adoption. That’s why Elon Musk’s recent robot taxi announcement is so exciting.

In April 2020, Musk stated the following on Twitter in response to a question about timing for deploying robot taxis:

“Functionality still looking good for this year. Regulatory approval is the big unknown.”

At first, this may seem unbelievable. Self-driving car experiments have been going on for years, and suddenly we’re less than a year away from seeing robot taxis on the streets? To get the real story, let’s take a closer look at both the technology and regulatory aspects of robot taxis.

The Hardware and Software That Make Tesla’s Robot Taxis Possible

Like other technical breakthroughs, Tesla’s robot taxi is made up of multiple technologies working in concert. On the hardware front, Tesla’s technology includes the following types of components:

• Internal Rear View Digital Camera. For a regular car, internal digital cameras don’t make a lot of sense. Yet Tesla has had this device installed in its cars for a while now. For a robot taxi, this type of camera could be more significant because it would make it possible to monitor taxi passengers.
• External cameras. Tesla’s self-driving car capability relies on a system of multiple external cameras so that the vehicle receives a 360-degree view of its surroundings. Theoretically, using multiple cameras would eliminate blind spots, which could make robot taxis safer than traditional taxis.
• Radar. According to the Tesla website, the company’s Autopilot capability includes “A forward-facing radar with enhanced processing provides additional data about the world on a redundant wavelength that can see through heavy rain, fog, dust and even the car ahead.” Radar is a vital robot taxi capability because it enables object detection despite poor weather conditions.
• Ultrasonic sensors. Supplemental radar and digital cameras, ultrasonic sensors are used to detect a wider variety of objects, including their distance from the vehicle. It is important to note that this type of sensor helps detect “soft” objects. For example, a plastic garbage bag filled with trash might not be detected by radar. However, ultrasonic sensors may be better suited to detecting such objects so the vehicle can avoid collisions.
• Software. All of the data gathered by the vehicle’s sensor systems needs to be processed for the robot taxi to drive safely.

To protect its technical advantage, Tesla is unlikely to disclose all of the specific hardware it uses publicly. For example, we don’t know for sure whether or not its vehicles use geomagnetic sensors. This type of sensor may be helpful to detect possible collisions and prevent them.

The Regulatory Question For Robot Taxi Technology

As mentioned above, there are significant unknowns regarding robot taxis. At this time, there is no clear indication which governments, if any, will approve licenses for robot taxis. However, there are different ways to approach this challenge. For example, consider a hybrid solution where a robot taxi is combined with a human taxi driver to monitor the system. In this manner, governments may feel more comfortable because there is a clear human operator to hold accountable in the event of an accident.

Alternatively, government regulators may take inspiration from the drone industry. Some drones are piloted remotely, while others have autonomous capabilities. Transferring the remote operator model to the robot taxi field may reduce concerns about accidents and accountability.

Finally, liability and insurance questions are the big problems that need to be solved before robot taxis can take off. What happens if a robot taxi encounters an accident? Would prosecutors direct their attention to the owner of the vehicle or somebody else? Further, how would automotive insurance providers treat robot taxis? If insurers consider robot taxis to be high risk, there may be very high insurance prices to pay.

What Are The Alternatives To Robot Taxis?

Given the unresolved concerns associated with robot taxis, what are other ways to use technology to improve transportation needs? Here are a few ideas you can use to enhance driver safety, save time, and make life better.

Identify faster driving routes with a network of cameras

Today, many drivers rely on radio reports to learn about local traffic conditions. These radio updates tend to provide general information, such as describing an accident on a freeway. For a driver trying to get home, simply knowing about an accident doesn’t help that much. What if drivers were given access to a network of smart digital cameras that monitored traffic conditions? If this technology was combined with machine learning, you could receive personalized driving directions that update every second.

Reduce car accidents in poor weather conditions

Driving a car safely through a weather storm is a challenging task. ABC News reports that “during precipitation, there is an increase of about 34% of the overall risk of a fatal car crash occurring.” Certain technologies may be able to help to reduce weather-related accidents. For example, consider adding radar systems to cars to detect obstacles and provide information about possible collision risk. In this way, car drivers would be closer to airline pilots who can fly safely by using instruments rather than relying exclusively on vision.

The Future For Robot Taxis Depends On Two Questions

There is considerable uncertainty clouding the future of robot taxi technology. Before this technology has a chance of mainstream adoption, two questions need to be solved. First, what regulatory solution provides an acceptable balance between public safety needs and liability and innovation? Second, robot taxi technology needs to show further evidence that their vehicles are as safe or safer than human taxi drivers. Once these issues are solved, we can expect a boom in robot taxi technology.