The UAE revealed its first fully autonomous taxi at an event in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The project, named TXAI, consists of a fleet of vehicles that will be seen on UAE roads for a trial later this month. The ride-sharing services trial will be conducted on Yas Island.
Announced at the Abu Dhabi Smart City Summit, TXAI is the first autonomous driving project to go ahead on a public road in the capital. In charge is a G42 subsidiary called Bayanat, a geospatial, data analytics and AI company in the UAE.
Department of Municipalities and Transport
Bayanat and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport teamed up in March this year to lead the development of autonomous vehicles.
In phase one of the project, five vehicles will transport passengers between nine stops including hotels, restaurants, malls and offices.
Phase two will involve more vehicles and more locations in Abu Dhabi.
Despite there being no driver, a safety officer will sit in the driver’s seat during the trial phase.
“This project is one of the bold regional steps in employing accurate data-driven artificial intelligence techniques within the transport network,” said Falah Al Ahbabi, chairman of the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
“DMT is continuously working with its partners in Bayanat and Miral to test the safety of the vehicles, in addition to overseeing the operations to ensure that a state-of-the-art service is provided in a safe and distinctive manner, and to ensure compliance with the UAE traffic laws and regulations.”
This month, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced that autonomous vehicles would soon be tested on the roads in the UAE.
“We’re incredibly proud to roll out TXAI today, leveraging Bayanat’s expertise in geospatial and AI to usher a new generation of tech-forward transportation to the UAE,” said Hasan Al Hosani, Bayanat’s chief executive.
“Bayanat has been strategically investing in different elements on the smart mobility value chain, including data, infrastructure, and MaaS [mobility as a service], and we are committed to encouraging local and regional utilisation of autonomous driving technology.
“We are confident that the technology behind TXAI has the potential to be transferable and successful in other venues, such as public transportation or for law enforcement.”
Self-driving cars - in pictures
-
A self-driving car operated by California start-up Zoox. The company began to test its technology on public roads in Las Vegas in 2019. Reuters -
W Motors chairman and chief executive Ralph Debbas in the company's self-driving prototype. The company was founded in 2012 but became famous after one of its vehicles, the Lykan HyperSport, was featured in the 2015 film 'Furious 7'. Victor Besa / The National -
The W Motors self-driving vehicle prototype, on display at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi in 2019. Victor Besa / The National. -
Cruise, the self-driving vehicle company backed by General Motors and Honda, will launch its first international robotaxi service outside the US in Dubai in 2023. Cruise -
A driverless Cruise vehicle at the Detroit Motor Show. The company is stationing five self-driving cars in San Francisco as it looks to develop a robot taxi service. AP -
The 10-seater smart driverless car tested by the Roads and Transport Authority in Business Bay, Dubai. Courtesy RTA. -
Ajman's first self-driving bus went on goes on its first official drive in November 2021, with Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, director of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department and UAE's Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, onboard. -
A Zoox robot taxi. The vehicle is loaded with sensors, has no steering wheel and is capable of transporting four people at up to 120 kilometres per hour. Photo: Zoox -
A self-driving car operated by Pittsburgh start-up Argo AI in New York. The company is working with Lyft and Ford to commercialise driverless ride-hailing services at scale. AFP -
Volvo's self-driving 360c concept car, which was first announced in 2018 and can function as a mobile office or transform into a sleeping area. Volvo says the 360c will create demand for inter-city taxi passengers travelling as far as 300km. Photo: Volvo
