Look, Hal, No Hands! Robotaxis Rolled Out in Suburban Shanghai

The computer system housed in the trunk quickly processes information gathered by a fast-spinning sensor atop the vehicle, calculating how many pedestrians are nearby and predicting which lane the car in front will shift into. This unmanned car is among the first self-driving taxis -- or robotaxis -- permitted to carry passengers on the open roads of Shanghai, part of a pilot program from China's dominant ride-hailing platform, Didi Chuxing. Since Saturday, users of Didi's app aged 18 to 70 have been able to sign up for a free test drive. Wang Mingze, a Didi spokesperson, told Sixth Tone that so far, over 10,000 people have requested test drives. "The line is pretty long," he said. "People will have to wait a few days before their turn comes up."