World's First Self-Driving Taxis Hit Singapore Streets In Limited Trials

The world's first-ever self-driving taxis hit the roads in Singapore on Thursday in a limited public trial. The "robo-taxi" service is taking place in a hi-tech business district in the western part of the country, where developer nuTonomy has been conducting daily autonomous vehicle testing since April. The company said that it had invited select Singapore residents to use its ride-hailing smartphone app to book a free ride in a nuTonomy self-driving car that employs the company's sophisticated software. The company's plan is to get feedback ahead of a planned launch of the service in Singapore in 2018. "Throughout the trial, nuTonomy will collect and evaluate valuable data related to software system performance, vehicle routing efficiency, the vehicle booking process, and the overall passenger experience," the company said in a statement. The rides will be provided in a Renault Zoe or Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicle, specially configured by nuTonomy for autonomous driving.