Zoox Incorporated shows its Robotaxi autonomous vehicle

 

Zoox Inc, unveiled its purpose-built Robotaxi autonomous vehicle that could be used in urban settings replacing "normal" taxis and ride-share services. Zoox's autonomous tech is far along in the development process with prototypes currently testing in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City (Zoox's home town). Zoox was purchased by Amazon this year and became an independent subsidiary of the giant corporation. Zoox's Robotaxi makes a lot of sense for big cities and, just possibly, for the delivery of goods between warehouses, consumers. etc. Could this be the source of Amazon's interest? The Robotaxi has a large 133 kW battery pack that would allow for 16 hours of continuous usage and fast recharges. The Robotaxi is bi-directional making parking, etc. a breeze. It also features four-wheel steering for improved maneuverability. Top speed is limited to 75 mph. In developing the Robotaxi, Zoox developed more than 100 pieces of new safety tech such as special airbags that would protect riders in the Robotaxi's open interior and more. We are very close to having totally autonomous vehicles and if you live in a fairly large metropolis, you could see Robotaxis soon. See the videos in the preceding post. We shall see. More to come...

Source: Zoox - Media release, pics. Video post.

Media Release:
Zoox reveals first look at autonomous, purpose-built robotaxi Following its (by) Amazon acquisition, the autonomous mobility company debuts its carriage-style vehicle with more than 100 proprietary safety innovations. 

Autonomous mobility company Zoox Inc. today revealed its fully functional, electric, autonomous vehicle that is designed for dense, urban environments. Zoox is the first in the industry to showcase a driving, purpose-built robotaxi capable of operating up to 75 miles per hour. Since its inception in 2014, Zoox has combined artificial intelligence, robotics, vehicle design, and sustainable energy to bring its vision of reinventing personal transportation to life — making the future safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable for everyone. 

Designed and manufactured in the U.S., Zoox is the only vehicle to offer bidirectional driving capabilities and four-wheel steering, which enables maneuvering through compact spaces and changing directions without the need to reverse. At 3.63m long, the vehicle has one of the smallest footprints in the automotive industry. The vehicle features a four-seat, face-to-face symmetrical seating configuration that eliminates the steering wheel and bench seating seen in conventional car designs. The vehicle also features a 133 kWh battery, one of the largest available in electric vehicles today, allowing it to operate for up to 16 continuous hours on a single charge. 

“Revealing our functioning and driving vehicle is an exciting milestone in our company’s history and marks an important step on our journey towards deploying an autonomous ride-hailing service,” said Aicha Evans, Zoox Chief Executive Officer. “We are transforming the rider experience to provide superior mobility-as-a-service for cities. And as we see the alarming statistics around carbon emissions and traffic accidents, it’s more important than ever that we build a sustainable, safe solution that allows riders to get from point A to point B.”

The vehicle design has more than 100 safety innovations not featured in conventional cars, including a novel airbag system for bidirectional vehicles and carriage seating that envelops passengers, which is equal to five-star crash safety protections for all four seats. The vehicles utilize a unique sensor architecture of cameras, radar, and LIDAR to obtain an unrivaled 270-degree field of view on all four corners of the vehicle, eliminating typical blind spots and allowing the vehicle to consistently track objects next to and behind it, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users. 

“Safety is the foundation of everything we do. Building a vehicle from the ground-up has given us the opportunity to reimagine passenger safety, shifting from reactive to proactive measures,” said Jesse Levinson, Zoox Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder. “These include new safety features such as our airbag design, redundant hardware throughout the vehicle, a unique sensor architecture, and a custom AI stack that detects and mitigates potential risks. Our vehicle has passed key FMVSS crash tests, and we are continuing to look for new, innovative ways to protect our riders and others on the road.”

Zoox was founded in 2014 with a vision of purpose-built, zero-emissions vehicles designed for autonomous ride-hailing, along with an end-to-end autonomy software stack. The company was acquired by Amazon in 2020, and operates as an independent subsidiary. Zoox is currently testing in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Foster City. 

About Zoox 

Based in Foster City, CA, Zoox is reinventing personal transportation—making the future safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable for everyone. Its vision for mobility goes beyond the vehicle itself to include a comprehensive and cohesive autonomous mobility platform, including charging and maintenance infrastructure and fleet management tools, in addition to vehicle software and hardware. This full-stack approach enables a more comprehensive, rider-focused deployment of the Zoox vision for urban mobility. Zoox is an independent subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.