Will Public Transit Be Driverless Sooner Than We Expected?
Maybe. After all, innovators around the globe are already working hard to integrate driverless technology into public transit systems.
While Canada is still breaking into the autonomous technology industry, other countries are strides ahead: Greece is testing driverless busses on the roads; Japan expects robo taxis to be fully operating by 2020; and South Korea is using self-driving vehicles to transport disabled students.
According to the Huffington Post, South Korea is actually behind the times when it comes to driverless technology. The Intelligent Vehicle IT Research Centre at Seoul National University is testing a driverless taxi named Snuber on campus. With a name like Snuber, it’s easy to imagine that the service is making a direct reference to Uber. In fact, students request a ride from Snuber by using a hailing app as well.
Snuber has been running for six months and, so far, there have been no accidents. It’s decked out with a camera, laser scanner, and other sensors. This equipment helps the vehicle assess road conditions and detect obstacles. Snuber follows the campus speed limit, makes lane changes, and obeys stop signs and crosswalks. However, because South Korea currently bans autonomous cars from its roads, someone has to occupy the driver’s seat.
Many are excited by the futuristic technology of autonomous vehicles. Others doubt that a driverless car will be able to protect passengers and pedestrians as well as a human driver can. For instance, how will self-driving vehicles respond to collisions that are inevitable?
The Snuber isn’t ready for the roads outside of campus says Seo Seung-Woo, the director of the Intelligent Vehicle IT Research Centre. But he does expect self-driving cars to be cruising through the city in just a few short years.
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