Robotaxi

A Robotaxi is an autonomous car that functions as a taxi without requiring a human driver.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) be managed by a Robotaxi Service or Ridesharing Company.
  • It can (often) operate at SAE Automation Level 4 or 5, indicating high or full automation.
  • It can be a key component of Autonomous Mobility on Demand (AMoD) systems in Urban Areas.
  • It can potentially improve Road Traffic Safety by eliminating human driver errors.
  • It can contribute to reducing Traffic Congestion and the need for Parking Spaces in cities.
  • It can help decrease Pollution and improve Energy Efficiency in Transport, especially when implemented as Electric Cars.
  • It can lower operating costs for taxi services by eliminating the need for human drivers.
  • It can face challenges related to Cybersecurity, social acceptance, and regulatory compliance.
  • It can raise concerns about job displacement in the transportation sector.
  • It can experience technical issues such as connectivity loss, leading to potential road blockages.
  • It can have difficulties in properly yielding to Emergency Vehicles.
  • It can range from being a Pilot Trial Robotaxi to being a Fully Operational Robotaxi Service.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Waymo One, a commercial robotaxi service operating in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Cruise, offering robotaxi services in San Francisco.
  • Apollo Go, Baidu's robotaxi service operating in several Chinese cities.
  • Zoox, Amazon's purpose-built robotaxi currently in development.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Traditional Taxis with human drivers.
  • Semi-Autonomous Vehicles that still require human intervention.
  • Public Transportation Systems like buses or trains.
  • Personal Autonomous Vehicles not used for ride-hailing services.
• See: Uber Developmental Self-Driving Car Pedestrian Death, SAE Automation Level, Ridesharing Company, Autonomous Mobility on Demand, Urban Area, Road Traffic Safety, Traffic Congestion, Parking Space, Pollution, Energy Efficiency in Transport, Electric Car, Mobility as a Service, Car Ownership, Cybersecurity in Autonomous Vehicles, Job Displacement in Transportation, Emergency Vehicle Interaction with Autonomous Vehicles.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/robotaxi Retrieved:2024-4-10.
  • A robotaxi, also known as robo-taxi, self-driving taxi or driverless taxi, is an autonomous car (SAE automation level 4 or 5) operated for a ridesharing company.

    Some studies have hypothesized that robotaxis operated in an autonomous mobility on demand (AMoD) service could be one of the most rapidly adopted applications of autonomous cars at scale and a major mobility solution in the near future, especially in urban areas. Moreover, they could have a very positive impact on road safety, traffic congestion and parking. Robotaxis could also reduce pollution and consumption of energy, since these services will most probably use electric cars and for most of the rides, less vehicle size and range is necessary compared to individually owned vehicles. The expectable reduction of the number of vehicles means less embodied energy, however energy consumption for redistribution of empty vehicles must be taken into account. Robotaxis would reduce operating costs by eliminating the need for a human driver, which might make it an affordable form of transportation and increase the popularity of transportation-as-a-service (TaaS) as opposed to individual car ownership. However, such developments could lead to job destruction and new challenges concerning operator liabilities. In 2023, some robotaxis currently in development and testing caused congestion when they lost connectivity and blocked roads, as well as have failed to properly yield to emergency vehicles. there has been only one fatality associated with a robotaxi, a pedestrian who was hit by an Uber test vehicle. Predictions of the widespread and rapid introduction of robo-taxis – by as early as 2018 – have not been realized. There are a number of pilot trials underway in cities around the world, some of which are in revenue service and open to the public. However, questions have been raised as to whether the progress of self-driving technology has stalled and whether issues of social acceptance, cybersecurity and cost have been addressed.

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