Skip to main content

Drive.ai self-driving tests with passengers in Frisco, Texas

Drive.ai is using self-driving vans to carry passengers on a near two-mile route in Frisco, Texas. According to a report by CBS News, the company is the first to launch such a test since an Uber vehicle driving in autonomous mode killed a pedestrian in Arizona. These vans will operate over the next six months, with a safety driver on board, and will travel between an office park and a nearby dining area and entertainment complex. Conway Chen, vice president at Drive.ai, says the service has been desi
July 31, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Drive.ai is using self-driving vans to carry passengers on a near two-mile route in Frisco, Texas. According to a report by %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external CBS News false https://www.cbsnews.com/news/self-driving-passenger-vans-hit-the-road-in-texas-city/ false false%>, the company is the first to launch such a test since an 8336 Uber vehicle driving in autonomous mode killed a pedestrian in %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 35413 0 link-external Arizona false /categories/utc/news/uber-ends-self-driving-programme-in-arizona/ false false%>.


These vans will operate over the next six months, with a safety driver on board, and will travel between an office park and a nearby dining area and entertainment complex.

Conway Chen, vice president at Drive.ai, says the service has been designed around the Uber incident.

"It is something that we have absolutely designed around, and we are taking every precaution that we can to make sure that type of incident doesn't happen,” Chen adds.

These vans come with radar on the grill, infrared Lidar sensors and ten cameras on the roof to provide a 360-degree view of the road. The vehicles also feature screens on their sides, front and rear to alert pedestrians and drivers of their movements.

Drive.ai intends to add more destinations over the next six months and phase out the safety driver.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Trafi and BVG launch all-in-one mobility app in Berlin
    February 21, 2019
    Technology firm Trafi has partnered with public transport company Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) to launch a mobility app which it says integrates all modes of transport in Berlin, Germany. Trafi claims that the Jelbi app will allow users to access the city’s entire public transportation system including scooters, bikes, ride-hailing and car-sharing as well as taxis. The idea is that users can plan and book journeys without needing to sign up to additional companies or jump between different apps.
  • A warm welcome to CARTES Secure Connexions Event 2013
    November 19, 2013
    Welcome to this 28th edition of CARTES Secure Connexions Event - nearly 30 years of enabling global synergies at a human and technological level CARTES is the world’s leading exhibition dedicated to secure solutions for payment, identification and mobility. Since its creation in Paris in 1985, CARTES has become the industry’s premier show – and this 2013 edition brings together more than 450 exhibitors who have come to present their products and services to 20,000 visitors from 140 countries.
  • Smart cities: engineering the future
    October 14, 2013
    The UK’s Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) smart cities meeting on 16 October will debate the technologies, skills and innovation needed to deliver the smart cities of the future. Prof Dr Uwe Krueger, CEO of Atkins, will discuss how coping with mass urbanisation will require a new kind of design, engineering and delivery – one which delivers adaptable and smart solutions, prioritises materials and energy efficiency and yet still meets the highest standards of quality and safety. It will me
  • Q-Free withdraws from ERP tender process in Indonesia
    December 17, 2018
    Tolling specialist Q-Free has withdrawn from a tender process for an electronic road pricing (ERP) system in Jakarta, Indonesia, due to uncertainty on the tender timeline and outcome. This withdrawal decision is also based on uncertainty regarding project structure and financing and expected project profitability. The company says it intends to increase recurring revenues and reduce its reliance on single large projects, and will be more selective when it comes to which contracts it pursues. The