Science & Technology

Elon Musk unveils self-driving robotic taxi with no steering wheel

By T.K. Randall
October 11, 2024 ·  7 comments

Is this the future of transportation ? Image Credit: Tesla Revealed at an event at the Warner Bros. film lot in Burbank, California this week, the taxi - named 'Cybercab' - is entirely autonomous and doesn't have any manual steering controls at all.

Its design is certainly futuristic - resembling a modern-day version of the DeLorean with a stainless steel exterior and gull-wing doors as well as the ability to recharge wirelessly.

Designed to carry two passengers, the vehicle will enter production within the next three years and will form part of Elon Musk's ongoing efforts to turn around the company's fortunes by focusing more on AI and robotics than standard electric cars.

Musk himself maintains that autonomous vehicles have the potential to be up to 20 times safer than human-driven cars as well as being far more cost-effective in terms of cost per mile.

"This is a very big deal," he said. "It'll save lives, a lot of lives, and prevent injuries."In order for something like this to prevent injuries, however, its autonomous systems are going to need to be perfect - otherwise placing your life in the hands of a robot driver will be anything but safe.

Because the Cybercab is entirely autonomous, it will need special regulatory approval in order to drive on public roads - a hurdle that will likely be quite challenging to overcome.

Tesla is also hoping to bring its autonomous robot Optimus to market in the next few years, which will reportedly cost somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000.

At the event, the firm also unveiled another autonomous vehicle called 'Robovan' - a 20-passenger train-like vehicle designed to transport groups of people from one place to another.

You can check out the highlights from the event - as well as the Cybercab in action - below.


Source: The Verge | Comments (7)

Tags: Tesla, Taxi