Daily Tribune
THE Robotaxi is safe it has a license to do its job.
Photograph courtesy of Hyundai
SOMETIME in the future you get to hail a taxi and not hear the driver complain where you’re going.
Straight from a sci-fi movie, a robo-taxi that has a license to drive. And charge fare.
Only it wasn’t fiction but in real-life.
Hyundai launched the Ioniq 5 Robotaxi in 2021 fulfilling the need for self-driving public transporation.
It forged a partnership with Motional and is set to debut this year by the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore.
And to erase the fear of people riding a fully automated vehicle, Hyundai has recently released a video of it undergoing a driver’s license exam.
The better to hone its data-gathering ability through algorithms.
Veteran driving instructor Kandice Jones evaluated the Robotaxi under the Class C license exam.
It is the basic driver education level in North America. Its speed, maneuverability, reaction time, and road courtesy allowed it to pass with flying colors. Of course, it has LIDAR, radar, and camera sensors at its disposal.
Needless to say, the Ioniq 5 Robotaxi aced the test. It even received its own driver’s license card.
The proven results involved visually impaired individuals who could move from safely and comfortably.
Though initial trials are completed in North America, Hyundai and Motional have yet to confirm if they are selling the Robotaxi elsewhere.
But with the way it performed, don’t be surprised to see it plying the routes of the key cities around the world.
Including that of Metro Manila.
