A Robotic Taxi Named robuCAB

Roland Piquepaille writes "According to ICT Results, an EU-funded project named Embounded 'has achieved the twin, and apparently contradictory, goals of making embedded systems both smarter and tougher.' One example is the robuCAB, a '4 seat automated people mover' developed by a French company and built from a 4 wheel-drive electric chassis with on-board PC. This autonomous vehicle follows the curb and carries several embedded systems, with one camera on the path edge, another device tracking the angle and direction of the curb, while others control the gearing and acceleration. robuCABs are not totally independent. They move over pre-defined circuits which contain a series of sensors below the ground. But read more for additional references and a picture of two robuCABs on the road."

hmmmm

[wizardforce]

Quick! someone tag this: whatcouldpossiblygowrong

these cabs require an underground infrastructure [guides in this case] that doesn't exist on most roads/highways that are frequently used by people- no only that but the farther you get out away from populated areas or even connections between populated areas, the less chance there's going to be anything for the cabs to go by as far as navigation is concerned. The whole concept relies on the idea that most roads or at least the ones commonly used will have these markers imbedded beneath the road and that is why it's not going to work for a while.

I can't wait.

[jtownatpunk.net]

I can't wait for my self-driving car. Go to sleep in the car Friday night, wake up in Vegas/SanFran/Wherever in the morning. Visting mom would be a lot less of a chore. It's 8 hours of driving round trip for a visit that lasts a few hours at most. (I can't stay in her smoke-saturated apartment any longer than that.) Not far enough to make flying a viable option, no train station on her end. If I didn't have to pay attention to the road, I could play a game, read a book, watch a movie, read slashdot, take a nap, etc.