டிரைவர் இல்லாமல் ஓடும் அதிவேக ரோபோ டாக்சியை கூகுள் நிறுவனம் விரைவில் தயாரிக்க உள்ளது.
தொழில்நுட்ப துறையில் முன்னணியில் இருக்கும் கூகுள் நிறுவனம், கடந்த 2010ம் ஆண்டு கார்களில் தானியங்கி தொழில்நுட்பத்தை உருவாக்கியது. இருப்பினும் எந்தவொரு நிறுவனமும் ஒப்பந்தம் செய்ய முன்வரவில்லை.
இதனையடுத்து தானாகவே கார்களை உற்பத்தி செய்ய நினைத்த கூகுள், டிரைவர் இல்லாமல் இயங்கும் ரோபோ டாக்சிகளை உருவாக்க திட்டமிட்டுள்ளது.
இதற்காக காரில் கமெராக்கள், ரேடார்கள் மற்றும் கணனி தொழில்நுட்பங்களை கூகுளே வழங்கவுள்ளது.
இந்த கார்கள் பயணிகளை ஏற்றிச் சென்று குறிப்பிட்ட இடத்தில் இறக்கிவிடும்.
இதற்கான பணிகள் முடிவடைந்து, இந்த ஆண்டு இறுதிக்குள் லண்டன் வீதிகளில் சோதனை ஓட்டம் நடைபெறும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.
மேலும் இந்த கார்களால் சாலை விபத்துகள் மிகவும் குறைவாக இருக்கும், சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதிப்பும் ஏற்படாது.
போக்குவரத்து துறையையே இக்கார்கள் அடியோடு மாற்றிவிடும் என அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
Google considering turning self-driving cars into a 'robo-taxi' service:
Although Google’s self-driving cars have been a technological success the search-giant has had difficulty finding a method of getting the vehicles into mainstream use. However, new reports now suggest that the company is considering using their vehicles to create an autonomous ‘robo-taxi’ service.
The self-driving vehicles would pick-up and drop-off passengers without human intervention, and would presumably be paired with a mobile application.
Google recently led an investment of $258 million in Uber, a three-year old taxi-hailing app now valued at $3.5bn. Uber started by offering customers the chance to order high-end vehicles from their mobiles within minutes, but the service has been so popular that a string of competitors have emerged (including Lyft, Hailo and Sidecar) whilst taxi unions and local governments have sought to obstruct the service’s growth.
It’s not clear whether Google would operate a fleet of cars themselves or hire out their expertise to other companies. Tech reporter Amir Efratihas said that Google had previously considered offering the service as a trial to specific cities as they have with Google Fibre. This would hopefully stimulate interest in the project and pressure other industry players to get involved.
Rival car-makers including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota have all developed prototype self-driving cars and sources within the industry believe that these incumbent players are unwilling to welcome Google into the fold.
However, last Thursday German newspaperFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that Google was nearing a deal with Continental, a major automotive supplier based in Germany, suggesting that the Californian tech company are moving towards manufacturing their own vehicles.
Currently Google’s self-driving cars use the Toyota Prius, a full-hybrid hatchback that typically costs around $25,000 in the US, and retrofit these with an array of sensors, cameras and computers. Although no official prices for the finished vehicles have been released, it’s expected that the necessary technology costs upwards of $100,000.
It would be an incredible risk for Google to cough up the funds necessary to start manufacturing vehicles, and although the self-driving cars are operated from within Google X (an R&D lab that houses all of the company’s ‘moonshots’ or high-risk projects) it still seems more likely that the company will continue to explore alternative avenues.
As well as finding a business model that works Google also face an uphill battle with regulation and local laws. The cars have been cleared to drive in four states in the US, and UK legislators have also given permission for tests of autonomous vehicles.
Google’s cars have so far only been involved in two accidents – one involved the car being rear-ended after stopping at a red light and the other occurred after a human driver took control of the vehicle.
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17:29
ram
