China is bringing real robotic taxis to the streets

China is bringing real robotic taxis to the streets

Completely driverless cars have been on the streets of the Chinese city of Shenzen for the first time. The media report citing the manufacturer Autox. The startup specializing in AI control was founded four years ago by Alibaba, MediaTek and Shanghai Motors. It is said to be the very first self-propelled fleet without a human driver. Autonomous driving without a network and a false floor, so to speak. So even without a control center that could intervene by remote control in an emergency. The 25 minivans from Fiat Chrysler are not only unmanned, but also for the very first time on public roads. Robotaxi projects had already been carried out in several Chinese cities before, but they still had a driver who could intervene in an emergency. According to the tech portal t3n, the cars in Shenzen are not yet open to the public. They are only available to employees and private guests such as the media, business partners, investors and car manufacturers. Nevertheless, it is a milestone for Autox. The startup had only received approval for the autonomous test fleet five months ago. Autox has also been testing vehicles for roadworthiness in California for years. The company employs scientists from top American universities, including MIT, Stanford, Berkeley and Harvard. The next step is to expand the number of cars and the size of the test area. In addition, there should be tests in more cities, the US television broadcaster CNBC quotes statements by company boss Jianxiong Xiao at "Squawk Box Asia": "We plan to expand into ten cities worldwide in the next six months."