. 24/7 Space News .
CAR TECH
Waymo cars hit the the road without drivers
By Glenn CHAPMAN
San Francisco (AFP) Nov 7, 2017


Waymo on Tuesday said that its self-driving cars are hitting the road without anyone behind the wheel as the Alphabet subsidiary steers toward launching an automated ride service.

The subsidiary of Google parent Alphabet has been testing autonomous cars for years, but with a driver behind the wheel to take over if needed.

Waymo chief executive John Krafcik used the Web Summit in Lisbon to announce a portion of its fleet in the Phoenix area will operate in fully autonomous mode with the cars handling all the driving.

"After more than eight years of development, we're taking the next step toward unlocking the potential of fully self-driving technology," the Waymo team said in a blog post.

"Starting now, Waymo's fully self-driving vehicles are test-driving on public roads without anyone in the driver's seat."

The testing will initially be limited to part of Phoenix, Arizona.

Since Waymo began as a project in Google's 'moonshot' lab in 2009, it vehicles have logged more than 3.5 million miles of autonomous driving on US roads, according to the company.

Waymo employees will be the first to test the fully automated rides.

The company plans to eventually launch a driverless on-demand ride service, potentially eliminating the need for car ownership in the long term.

"Over the next few months, we'll be inviting members of the public to take trips in our fully self-driving vehicles," Waymo said.

"A fully self-driving fleet can offer new and improved forms of sharing: it'll be safer, more accessible, more flexible, and you can use your time and space in the vehicle doing what you want."

The service will initially expand to members of a Waymo early-rider program, who will be able to get rides to or from school, work, shops, pubs or any other local spots they might typically go in their own vehicles.

Waymo appears to have a head-start in what is expected to be a competitive race to a ride-sharing future, with established automakers such as Ford and BMW and ride-sharing groups Uber and Lyft in the mix.

- Cabby-free cab -

French firm Navya separately Tuesday unveiled an electric-powered, self-driving Autonom Cab designed to provide local rides for people in urban centers.

The Autonom Cab has no steering wheel or foot pedals, and is capable of carrying as many as six passengers, according to the company.

"Imagine what cities would be like if there were nothing but Autonoms running on the road," Navya chief executive Christophe Sapet said in a release.

"No more traffic jams or parking problems, fewer accidents and less pollution."

Navya boasted partnerships with transport specialty firms, notable Keolis in Europe and the US and RAC in Australia, that it said will enable it to roll out Autonom fleets in cities.

A self-driving electric shuttle built by Navya was tested early this year in Las Vegas in a US first and will start a regular route there on Wednesday, the company told AFP.

Arma shuttles operated in a collaboration with Keolis will provide rides along a route in downtown Las Vegas, away from the casino-lined main strip.

Operators will be on board the shuttles to act more as hosts than back-up drivers, introducing people to the technology, while Arma shuttles tend to navigating the route, according to a company spokesperson.

The Arma program was slated to last one year.

CAR TECH
Tesla slides on murky outlook for fixing Model 3 production woes
New York (AFP) Nov 1, 2017
Tesla shares skidded Wednesday after offering only a murky timetable for fixing production "bottlenecks" for its Model 3, the vehicle aimed at broadening the appeal of the electric carmaker. Shares in Tesla, a longtime favorite of Wall Street, sank 4.7 percent in after-hours trade to $306.00 following its quarterly update, which also showed its net loss nearly doubled to $619 million - its ... read more

Related Links
Car Technology at SpaceMart.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CAR TECH
How Does Your Space Garden Grow

NanoRacks Deploys Second Kaber-Class Microsatellite This Week, First On-Orbit Assembly

Saudi Arabia to invest $1 billion in Virgin Galactic

Scientist devises a solar reactor to make water and oxygen from moon rocks

CAR TECH
Arianespace to launch Embratel Star One D2

What Ever Happened to Sea Launch?

SpaceX launches Korean satellite, sticks rocket landing

Arianespace to launch Inmarsat's fifth Global Xpress satellite

CAR TECH
Next Mars Rover Will Have 23 'Eyes'

In desert of Oman, a gateway to life on Mars

Winters leave marks on Mars' sand dunes

Winters on Mars are shaping the Red Planet's landscape

CAR TECH
Space will see Communist loyalty: Chinese astronaut

China launches three satellites

Mars probe to carry 13 types of payload on 2020 mission

UN official commends China's role in space cooperation

CAR TECH
New Chinese sat comms company awaits approval

Myanmar to launch own satellite system-2 in 2019: vice president

Eutelsat's Airbus-built full electric EUTELSAT 172B satellite reaches geostationary orbit

Turkey, Russia to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of Space Technologies

CAR TECH
Liquids take a shine to terahertz radiation

Voltage-driven liquid metal fractals

Cancer cells destroyed with dinosaur extinction metal

Jellyfish-inspired electronic skin glows when it gets hurt

CAR TECH
Overlooked Treasure: The First Evidence of Exoplanets

Scientists discover new type of deep-sea hunting called kleptopredation

'Monster' planet discovery challenges formation theory

One small doorstep for man: Cosmic mat welcomes aliens

CAR TECH
Jupiter's X-ray auroras pulse independently

Haumea, the most peculiar of Pluto companions, has a ring around it

Ring around a dwarf planet detected

Helicopter test for Jupiter icy moons radar









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.