All posts tagged: taxis

What AI taxis and robots can learn from bees

What AI taxis and robots can learn from bees

Published by skeptic

Even advanced technology can struggle when the real world becomes unpredictable. In April 2026, a Waymo robotaxi in San Antonio, Texas, drove into a flooded lane during severe weather, prompting the company to recall about 3,800 vehicles for a software fix. No one was injured, but the incident exposed a deeper challenge: intelligence is not just about processing data. It is about knowing where to look, what to notice, when to act and how to use previous experience when conditions change. AI researchers are now looking at bees and other insects to help them design machines and robots that can make better decisions. My research explores how bees learn, from identifying simple visual patterns to mastering high-level concepts, and how they adapt their behaviour when conditions change. By combining behavioural experiments, neural recording (for example, measuring signals from the brain) and neuromorphic computing (an approach to computing inspired by the animal brain), my goal is to uncover the biological code that allows tiny brains to navigate a complex world and make efficient decisions. I have …

China Presses Pause on Self-Driving Taxis Nationwide After Issue Where They Blocked Streets. America Could Learn a Lot From That

China Presses Pause on Self-Driving Taxis Nationwide After Issue Where They Blocked Streets. America Could Learn a Lot From That

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Earlier this year, dozens of autonomous vehicles from the Chinese company Baidu suddenly stopped in their tracks in Wuhan, China, triggering major chaos and sparking alarm among lawmakers in Beijing. Not much later, the country’s government decided to stop issuing new licenses for new autonomous vehicles altogether, as Bloomberg reported last week, once again highlighting persistent pain points in the rollout of the tech — not to mention how far Beijing is willing to go to intervene when things go south. As Fortune points out, a strikingly similar situation is playing out in the United States — yet federal regulations are nowhere in sight. Robotaxis from both Waymo and Tesla are still relying on human operators, stealing luggage, or colliding with objects and animals in the streets. Federal regulators are even investigating a Waymo vehicle crashing into a child outside of an elementary school. A massive power outage in San Francisco caused Waymo’s fleet to clog up the …

Self-Driving Taxis Poised for Vicious Backlash

Self-Driving Taxis Poised for Vicious Backlash

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech When the city of San Francisco held a hearing last week on an incident that caused hundreds of Waymo robotaxis to stop dead in their tracks, it became a rallying point for labor activists, rideshare drivers, and concerned citizens to vent their grief with autonomous vehicles. According to one new study, that’s no coincidence — but instead an early sign of explosive backlash as self-driving taxis rapidly expand throughout the United States. The study, a survey of more than 4,600 responses to questions on self-driving cars collected by the Pew Research Center, found widespread distrust with the vehicles. According to reporting by the San Diego Union-Tribune, about 85 percent of those surveyed believe the rollout of driverless cars will lead to job losses. A further 70 percent said self-driving cars are a “bad idea for society,” or that they were unsure about how to regard the technology — meaning there’s only a pitiful slice of the population who …

Singaporeans ride China’s robotaxis and air taxis to glimpse a driverless future

Singaporeans ride China’s robotaxis and air taxis to glimpse a driverless future

Published by Sam Flores

FROM NOVELTY TO COMING REALITY EHang has said its air taxi services, when they are launched in future, are expected to cost 200 to 300 yuan (US$29 to US$44). A 10km robotaxi ride in Guangzhou, meanwhile, can cost about 20 yuan — with discounts — compared with 40 to 50 yuan for a regular taxi. Singaporean Formula 4 racer Kareen Kaur, 15, who checked out Shenzhen’s robotaxis, found them “efficient”. “When you book (one), it comes within five minutes,” she said. “I think if people … are in a rush, they can take it.” Her father and travel buddy, Kuldeep Singh, 46, was struck by the consistency of the driving. “As humans, right, we’ll just go (up) to 76, 78, 79kmh. You’re worried (about receiving a) summons,” he quipped. Source link

Archer Aviation to implement Starlink internet in its eVTOL air taxis

Archer Aviation to implement Starlink internet in its eVTOL air taxis

Published by skeptic

In what is being described as an “industry-first collaboration” by Archer Aviation, the eVTOL developer will integrate Starlink high-speed satellite internet into its Midnight air taxis. We also enjoy seeing interesting eVTOL news, but admittedly, our most recent coverage of Archer Aviation ($ACHR) has focused more on its expansions on the ground than on its progress developing its flagship 4-passenger eVTOL, Midnight. Don’t get me wrong, Archer’s recent plans to establish hubs on both US coasts in support of its pending eVTOL air taxi network are exciting, especially in planned aerial-friendly areas like Miami. While today’s news isn’t a milestone in flight time or aerial maneuvers, it’s still noteworthy (mainly because it involves a company by the name of Starlink). That’s right, early this morning, Archer Aviation shared plans to work with Starlink to bring high-speed internet connectivity to its eVTOLs and more. Archer Aviation signs internet agreement with Starlink According to Archer Aviation, there is an agreement now in place to allow it to install Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite internet system into its Midnight …

The House Opinion Article | Who’s Behind The Wheel Of Self-Driving Taxis?

The House Opinion Article | Who’s Behind The Wheel Of Self-Driving Taxis?

Published by Sam Flores

7 min read1 hr A security check on a fleet of new electric buses in Oslo late last year uncovered features that caused international alarm. The 300 Yutong buses were sending data back to its manufacturers in China. The company insisted this flow was necessary to “optimise” their performance. But Norway’s transport authorities moved to prevent access to data being sent to China. They also said they had mitigated any possibility of a ‘kill switch’ that could be activated by the manufacturer crippling the fleet from afar. The incident brought into sharp relief the challenges the Chinese-dominated market in electric vehicles are posing western policymakers – made all the more acute with the advent of self-driving cars. China dominates the global EV market, with its home-grown company BYD overtaking Tesla as the world’s largest electric carmaker last year. Amid reports that Chinese self-driving taxis could be trialled in the UK as soon as this year, MPs and peers from across the political spectrum are urging caution. The BBC reported in December that Uber …

New Uber-backed driverless taxis to hit UK streets in 2026 | UK News

New Uber-backed driverless taxis to hit UK streets in 2026 | UK News

Published by skeptic

Uber and Lyft ‌are both planning to launch driverless taxi trials in London in 2026, in separate partnerships with Chinese tech giant Baidu. The move reinforces the UK‘s role as Europe’s leading testbed for commercialising robotaxis, fuelled by the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 which provides a legal framework for driverless car ‌liability. It also sets the scene for the competing trials between US and Chinese autonomous giants for the first time in a European capital, following Alphabet-owned Waymo’s recent start of supervised tests in ‍London. Image: Lyft’s boss, revealed the trials would use Apollo Go RT6 vehicles that are “purpose-built for rideshare”. Pic: Reuters David Risher, Lyft’s boss, revealed the company’s trials would use Apollo Go RT6 vehicles that are “purpose-built for rideshare”. “We expect to start testing our initial fleet with dozens of vehicles next year – pending regulatory approval,” Risher said. The company “plans to scale to hundreds from there,” he added. Baidu is racing against rivals like Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, whose cars have already been seen on London’s streets. …