Dubai Begins Testing of Autonomous Cube Transport

March 27, 2018, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Dubai has begun testing autonomous pods carrying up to 10 passengers each in the heart of Dubai tourist region. The pods which look like cubes with windows and a door are designed to travel short and medium distances.  Dubai has set a goal of having 25% of all of the travel autonomous by 2030.  

They can travel alone or easily coupled to form a two-pod unit. The pods have cameras and technology that allows them to couple / uncouple in 15 seconds and can be activated while they are moving.

The pods are electric vehicles that can be fully charged in only 6 hours and have an average speed of about 20 km/h. The battery will run each pod for 3 hours. It’s hoped that these pods will help to move Dubai into the position of Smartest City in the World. The shape of the cars is unique and mark a step away from the current driver centred model of transportation in which the vehicle is designed firstly around the needs of the driver.

Next Future transportation is the manufacturer of the pods and they predict that the electric and self driving cars “will disrupt the transportation market, generating a complex scenario of new opportunities, new needs and issues to be resolve”. They propose their pods are the answer. The pods are useable as personal cars, or bought by public transport companies, or by private business. They propose some unique ideas for the pods as well – such as moving coffee shops, washrooms, grocery deliver and grocery outlets, and bars on wheels.

Certainly, the modular aspect of them may be appealing in the transportation of goods, as there would be fewer mismatched load sizes to transportation capacity. The modules would be able to operate public transit more efficiently by matching the vehicle size to need on less travelled routes.

This represents another step in the evolution of autonomous vehicles being tested around the world today. You can watch a video of the system here.

photo from NEXT Future Transportation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDgh29SqZzE

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Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

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