Technological innovation has allowed the creation of autonomous vehicles i.e. vehicles that are able to ride without the intervention of a driver. The giants of the web such as Google or Apple, as well as traditional car manufacturers like Ford, Renault and Tesla, want to produce these vehicles. In France, the start-up Navya intends to make these autonomous vehicles their business.
Presentation from the Autonom Cab
In 2014, Navya created the Autonom Shuttle, a self-contained shuttle designed to operate in private and corporate environments. Then, in 2017, Navya introduced Autonom Cab, an autonomous taxi designed to drive in the city. This vehicle can accommodate up to 6 passengers and does not contain a steering wheel or pedal. It only operates thanks to the artificial intelligence driven by multiple sensors.
Navya describes its Autonom Cab as the first 100% automated taxi driver and aims to enter the market in the third quarter of 2018. Tests are being performed in Paris before the official release of the vehicle. However, the Autonom Cab has already undergone previous testing and has made an impression at the the CES (consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas in January 2018. During this event, tests were carried out on the roads of the city successfully. In order to meet his challenge, Navya has worked on its technology and included security since this will make the difference between the success and the failure of its autonomous taxis.
A dream from the company Navya
Navya hopes that one day there will a whole city filled with their vehicles. This would be a great breakthrough in a smart city. Moreover, if there were only autonomy cabs in the cities, it would be more environmentally friendly. One benefit is that there would be less traffic because the inhabitants would no longer need to own their own vehicles but would circulate simply use the Autonom Cab. Another benefit is that these vehicles would contribute to the reduction of pollution since there would be a lower amount of vehicles on the roads and the Autonom Cab are all electric.
Even though these vehicle can benefit society greatly, the Vienna convention as well as the highway code does not yet allow for fully autonomous vehicles to operate on their own. The French government announced in a presentation in November 2017 that they did not want France to be lagging the rest of the world in terms of technological innovation and thus support further technological innovation. It is therefore likely that the French legislation will adopt new regulations to accompany these technological changes in the next few years.
For more information : http://navya.tech/

A propos de Claire DOLLE