## Mesmerizing Journey with Zoox’s Autonomous Robotaxi
My adventurous hour-long ride in Zoox’s cutting-edge robotaxi along the bustling Las Vegas Strip revealed impressive advancements in driverless technology. However, further refinement is necessary to make such rides indistinguishable from those controlled by human drivers.
## Enhancing Autonomous Travel
The Zoox robotaxi effortlessly handled challenging driving scenarios encountered on the Las Vegas Strip. Yet, there’s room for improvement to perfect the autonomous ride. Despite my extensive experience as an autonomous vehicle (AV) tester, frequent interactions with the autonomous world made certain imperfections evident.
## Zoox’s Staggering Leap Towards Innovation
Visibly, Zoox has made remarkable progress with the co-founder and CTO, Jesse Levinson leading the pack towards transforming robotaxi rides into the new normal. Joining me for the intriguing 16-mile long ride, Levinson expressed his vision of a future dominated by autonomous driving.
## Features Distinguishing the New-Gen Robotaxi
The enhanced Zoox robotaxi stands out from its predecessors, boasting a multitude of advancements involving hardware upgrades and higher processing power. The team introduced improvements in suspension, brakes, and electronic drive units alongside a more comfortable bench and an improved touchscreen user interface.
## Road to Autonomous Future
Since its inception, the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle firm has been actively testing its purpose-built, electric robotaxi on Las Vegas public roads. The influx of select media and employees allowed for trials is set to include the public by 2025 in Las Vegas and San Francisco.
## Unfolding an Autonomous Experience
My Zoox robotaxi trips were safe, with smooth accelerations and confident lane changes, unlike prior experiences with other AVs. Small comfort drawbacks included a slightly hard brake and a somewhat stiff ride. Nevertheless, the robotaxi’s efficient handling of complex scenarios involving car accidents was prominent.
While the secure execution of driverless rides is vital for a successful operation, the experiences signal that Zoox seems prepared for expansion, potentially ushering in an era of public accessibility to autonomous vehicles.
Fonte original: Leia a matéria completa no TechCrunch