Daimler (parent company of Mercedes-Benz), and their partner Robert Bosch have teamed up to create a series of self-driving cars primarily aimed at the production of ‘robo-taxis’, as early as 2020.
The companies would combine expertise in car making, sensors and software so that people in a specific part of town could order a shared car through their smart phone. The self-driving car would then come pick them up and take them where they want to go.
The auto industry and tech firms have been investing heavily in autonomous driving technology although legal issues surrounding driver responsibility remain to be solved.
Last year, Goldman Sachs projected the market for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles would grow from about $3 billion in 2015 to $96 billion in 2025 and $290 billion in 2035.
‘Within a specified area of town, customers will be able to order an automated shared car via their smartphone. The vehicle will then make its way autonomously to the user,’ Daimler said.
‘The idea behind it is that the vehicle should come to the driver rather than the other way round.’
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