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A Robotic Taxi Named robuCAB
Roland Piquepaille writes "According to ICT Results, an EU-funded project named Embounded 'has achieved the twin, and apparently contradictory, goals of making embedded systems both smarter and tougher.' One example is the robuCAB, a '4 seat automated people mover' developed by a French company and built from a 4 wheel-drive electric chassis with on-board PC. This autonomous vehicle follows the curb and carries several embedded systems, with one camera on the path edge, another device tracking the angle and direction of the curb, while others control the gearing and acceleration. robuCABs are not totally independent. They move over pre-defined circuits which contain a series of sensors below the ground. But read more for additional references and a picture of two robuCABs on the road."
I'm not using it until they change the name to JohnnyCab
11 was a racehorse
12 was 12
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Little concerned about it though. Rob-U-Cab doesn't sound like a very nice thing...
Quick! someone tag this: whatcouldpossiblygowrong
these cabs require an underground infrastructure [guides in this case] that doesn't exist on most roads/highways that are frequently used by people- no only that but the farther you get out away from populated areas or even connections between populated areas, the less chance there's going to be anything for the cabs to go by as far as navigation is concerned. The whole concept relies on the idea that most roads or at least the ones commonly used will have these markers imbedded beneath the road and that is why it's not going to work for a while.
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
I love seeing the new technologies emerging, but with the world wide web and the speed of notification it offers, sometimes I feel a little chagrined that even though right here and now there are functional, autonomous vehicles, it will probably still be years before my first ride in one.
Now, I could split hairs and note that every airliner I have flown on has had autopilot, probably of quality high enough to even land the plane, but it's not the same as sending a text and then 5 minutes later having a wheeled robot show up at my curb to whisk me away to....well, probably taco bell or something.
I think about these things. Like, when will I see my first bona-fide working (i.e. employed) humanoid robot? I asked my wife and brother and both agree it likely will be another 5-10 years and it will probably be at some fancy hotel or resort. This is of course assuming I somehow find myself at a fancy hotel or resort - I guess that's something to look forward to as well!
Read my Very Short "Stories"
I can't wait for my self-driving car. Go to sleep in the car Friday night, wake up in Vegas/SanFran/Wherever in the morning. Visting mom would be a lot less of a chore. It's 8 hours of driving round trip for a visit that lasts a few hours at most. (I can't stay in her smoke-saturated apartment any longer than that.) Not far enough to make flying a viable option, no train station on her end. If I didn't have to pay attention to the road, I could play a game, read a book, watch a movie, read slashdot, take a nap, etc.
Hey, good job on not making any grammar mistakes in your post!~
Don't put advice in your sig.
You have to wonder at any company that picks the name "Rob-U-Cab". Most of the time the companies have the good sense and decency to at least pretend. After the Titanic, you didn't hear about any vessels named the USS Improved or the HMS Seaworthy, did you? Usually when companies are honest like this somebody gets fired...