Tesla has officially launched the Cybercab robotaxi, nearly a couple of year since it unveiled the vehicle. On its website, the company has announced that it now offers Cybercab rides through its Robotaxi app on iOS and Android. Users can hail autonomous rides through the app in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Tampa, but the Cybercab option only appears to be initially available in Austin. Even in Austin, what customers get will depend on the number of people in the group and on availability. They can't choose to get a Cybercab, at least for now.

An invite-only event in Austin, Texas, kept online fans in the dark for hours. A Tesla launch event tends to cause a hoopla. Fans crowd into an event space; loud electronic beats are the warm up act. Finally, the star himself, the ringmaster of this electric circus, CEO Elon Musk, emerges to a roar. There are demos, powerful verbs, and sometimes, a "one more thing," a last-minute surprise product unveiling.

Wayve's self-driving technology is based on an AI learning model rather than the mapping used by some rivals. Wayve's self-driving technology is based on an AI learning model rather than the mapping used by some rivals. London's first self-driving taxis for hire hit the streets Londoners are now able to hire self-driving taxis for the first time, after rides in Wayve's autonomous vehicles were added to the Uber app on Thursday. The chances of landing a robotaxi on request immediately are slim, with only 15 vehicles so far licensed. That contrasts with the more than 100,000 private hire vehicles in the capital - roughly the same number of Uber customers who have registered to take autonomous rides.

Uber launches UK's first robotaxis with a driver - here's what it's like to ride in one Londoners are able to hail the UK's first robotaxis - as Uber today becomes the first company to launch a self-driving minicab. Initially, it only has 15 autonomous vehicles with a licence to operate in the city, and each one must have a human safety driver behind the wheel ready to take control if anything goes wrong. Uber said it surveyed London-based customers via the app and more than 100,000 said they would choose a self-driving taxi if one was available, despite incidents of driverless rides malfunctioning in US cities where they already operate. As I found out when I became the first UK journalist to hail one, it was mostly smooth but the safety driver did intervene on one occasion. At the moment the UK fare for a robotaxi ride will be the same fare as a standard UberX, Uber Electric, or Uber Comfort journey, with upfront fares shown in the app.

Follow this author to personalize your feed and get instant alerts. Follow Go to your personalized feed WHY FOLLOW? Smart Alerts: Get notified about major news as it happens. Aicha Evans recalls the first time she saw the Zoox robotaxi, a driverless vehicle with no steering wheel, no pedals, and no front or back. "I fell in love," she says.

Waymo is now offering robotaxi rides to the public in three more cities. Starting today, its service is available in Denver, San Diego and Tampa, Florida. The company says tens of thousands of people in each city have signed up. It will gradually open up access to them before everyone else. Moving into these latest locations means Waymo is now running robotaxis in 14 cities in the US, with more to follow. The company is also planning an international expansion, including in Tokyo and Munich.

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A Russian drone strike hit a major shopping centre in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, killing 14 people and injuring over 100, including 22 children. Officials said the attack came in two waves, with the second strike occurring as emergency crews were responding to the scene. How is drought hitting UK farming?

Humanoid crashes during speed test as China's robotics industry grows Humanoid crashes during speed test as China's robotics industry grows China has been showcasing its growing robotics industry with robots designed to move and work like humans.

Tesla appears to have finally allowed its Robotaxi fleet in Austin to go full driverless, according to a report by The Verge. It looks like all vehicles in the city are operating autonomously. This is many months after Elon Musk announced that they had begun operating without human safety monitors onboard. He also said that the entire fleet would remove safety drivers by, well, the end of 2025. This news isn't coming from Musk or anyone from Tesla, which gives it more credence.