by Dan Martin / Beiyi SEOW Agence France-Presse SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — Chinese entrants in the race to put autonomous vehicles on the road are bringing “robotaxis” online in hopes that a hired-car format can be the key to unlocking wide acceptance of the futuristic technology. It is expected to be years before cars that operate completely without human intervention are unleashed owing to lingering technological, regulatory, and safety hurdles. But as China challenges US […]
Tag: autonomous
Alphabet’s Waymo raises $2.25 bn to rev up autonomous projects
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Waymo said Monday it had raised $2.25 billion in its first external funding round to help the former Google car unit accelerate its deployment of autonomous cars and trucks. Born in a Google lab devoted to big-vision new technology, Waymo became a subsidiary of Alphabet in 2016 — and has been one of the tech giant’s “other bets” that have been losing money in recent years. Leading the investment round […]
Tokyo airport tests driverless bus to shuttle visitors
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Visitors pouring into Japan’s Haneda airport for the Tokyo Olympics next year may find themselves ferried to and from planes on driverless buses, currently being tested at the major hub. Six Japanese firms, including national carrier ANA, jointly started a 10-day experiment with a self-driving prototype minibus last week. On Tuesday, officials allowed a sneak peak at the automated transportation, which is being tested with a safety driver in the front […]
Apple sees autonomous cars as ‘core’ technology
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple views autonomous driving systems as a “core technology” for the future, chief executive Tim Cook said in an interview aired Tuesday. Cook told Bloomberg television that Apple wants to move into the automotive sector because “there is a major disruption looming” from new technologies. The auto sector, Cook said, is being transformed by artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology as well as by the development of better electric […]





