Skip to main content

Humans will accompany autonomous shuttles as they take over our cities

CES wouldn’t be complete without a diverse catalog of autonomous shuttles presented as the next breakthrough in public and private transportation. We found at least a dozen of them in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

More CES 2019 coverage

Most are design studies that haven’t made the leap from the concept stage to the production stage yet, but the companies developing them are working around the clock to turn them into a reality. Realistically, shuttles stand a good chance of becoming the first widespread, real-world application of level-five autonomous technology. They’ll need human help to navigate — and, according to the more bullish analysts, dominate — the world’s megacities, however.

“This is why we brought the shuttle concept to CES, to give people an idea of what could be happening,” Mike Mansuetti, the president of Bosch’s North American division, told Digital Trends during CES 2019. The German firm won’t make its own shuttle, but it wants to provide hardware and software to companies that do. Its expertise could benefit traditional automakers, like Volvo, and it could also help tech companies such as Uber and Lyft get a shuttle service off the ground.

Skeptical observers point out that, at its core, a shuttle moves passengers from point A to point B, so why bother? It’s the on-demand and connected aspects that set them apart from public buses and trains; imagine being able to hail a bus with your smartphone, and decide whether you want to share it with other passengers or ride alone. And, if you choose to ride alone, you can decide whether you want to sleep, party, work, watch a movie, or all four during various stages of the trip. Try doing that on a bus or a train. Recent studies suggest this type of vehicle — which might become a stand-alone segment — could have far-reaching implications on a variety of sectors including tourism, retail, and, of course, mobility.

Most companies plan on rolling out fully autonomous shuttles, and many won’t come with a steering wheel at all, but humans will continue to monitor the overall experience in the foreseeable future to make sure everything goes as planned. For example, trained operators keep an eye on the Nuro R1 autonomous pods that deliver groceries in Scottsdale, Arizona, as part of a pilot program. They’re not physically present in the car, but they can take over control of the vehicle remotely if needed. Mansuetti echoed the need for human involvement; he added it could also help consumers accept the technology and feel comfortable using it.

“We need to help the everyday consumer understand really what these are,” he pointed out, comparing the deployment of autonomous shuttles to the rise of the automatic elevator. Early on, the technology made elevator operators unnecessary but many kept their jobs for years. “Nobody needed the elevator operator, but they were there to create a calming factor. ‘I got to the right floor, I know where I’m going, and if there’s anything that happens I know you’re here for me.’ We’ll see that coming. We might not call them drivers, we might call them concierges,” he predicted.

Editors' Recommendations

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Trifo’s Lucy robot vacuum won’t run over poop, doubles as a security system
Lucy vacuum robot top

It's 2020, so it's about time robots started becoming more useful additions to our home. It looks like one particular robot is going to fulfill some of our futuristic fantasies. Trifo, a home robotics company, unveiled its latest robot on Thursday, January 2. Its name is Lucy and its basically a super-smart robot vacuum and a security system. Lucy will be strutting its stuff at CES 2020, though there's no word as of yet of when the robot will be available for purchase.

“Revenue for smart home products globally will grow to $28.4 billion in 2020, up 54% from $18.5 billion in 2018, and the feature set of these devices continues to improve,” Trifo founder and CEO Zhe Zhang said in a statement. “Lucy reflects the evolution of our products from robot vacuums to AIoT-enabled home robots that can assist with a wide range of features that help people with their life and work.”

Read more
Hyundai’s flying car program will take off at CES 2020 with concept vehicle
hyundai flying car concept ces 2020 taxi hub

Hyundai recently established its own flying taxi division, becoming the latest in a long line of companies to take a shot at this sci-fi technology. While it's unclear when the first Hyundai flying taxi will go into production, the company will unveil a concept version at CES 2020.

Hyundai hasn't revealed many details of the flying taxi, which it refers to as a "personal air vehicle." The vehicle will be shown alongside an autonomous concept car Hyundai calls a "purpose built vehicle." This concept vehicle will have a customizable design, giving it a variety of possible uses, Hyundai claims. Both vehicles are designed to operate out of a transportation "hub" that could be built in city centers, Hyundai claims.

Read more
At CES 2020, BMW will make sleeping in a city car sound attractive
bmw presenting i3 urban space electric car concept at ces 2020 suite 3

Previous

Next

Read more