Uber launches robotaxis in London with a supervisor in the cabin
Uber has launched 15 autonomous Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles in London, United Kingdom, as part of a partnership with British technology company Wayve. The vehicles use artificial intelligence, but a supervisor must currently be present in the cabin of each one, as London regulators have not yet permitted fully autonomous driving on public roads. This was reported by CBS News.
Restrictions on trips
The robotaxis can operate within London, but do not yet provide trips to the airport. The cost of ordering such a vehicle is 20% higher than the standard Uber fare.
During a test ride by CBS News journalists, the vehicle initially drove autonomously. However, it got stuck in a narrow passage, after which the supervisor had to take over control.
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Challenging London roads
Kendall noted that the challenge for Wayve and Uber is the city’s road network, where some roads are hundreds of years old. According to him, London has many roundabouts and complex road-interaction scenarios. He also said that the city has more than ten times as many cyclists and pedestrians as San Francisco, while the volume of roadworks also exceeds that city’s figure by more than ten times.
Wayve distinguishes its approach from Waymo’s by the fact that its system does not require the city to be mapped in advance. According to Kendall, the company’s artificial intelligence was trained on millions of hours of driving in different countries so it can understand the road situation ahead and make decisions in real time. Wayve has operated its vehicles in more than 500 cities across Europe, Asia and North America, he said.
Wayve’s investors, in addition to Uber, include Nvidia and Microsoft. Its competitor Waymo, owned by Alphabet, is also mapping London with its vehicles but has not yet launched them for passengers. Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said that in the short term robotaxis would not pose a threat to London’s black cabs because the transport market is growing.
