There was a time when no one could imagine a driverless car would ever exist. But gradually, what we once thought was impossible has become a reality. The first autonomous cars are now commercially available! Although Leonardo da Vinci developed the self-propelled carriage in the 15th century, it was in the 20th century that the concept was realized. When Google announced in 2009 that it would start researching unmanned cars, the idea became even more attractive. Currently, several well-known companies are looking into developing semi-autonomous and fully driverless cars, which could result in significantly fewer traffic accidents.

The streets of Cambridge are to play host to Britain's first self-driving shuttle from today in milestone tests that will see the bus ferry passengers on a busy main road. Developed by Aurrigo, the three Auto-Shuttles are running a two-mile route from Madingley Road Park and Ride around the University of Cambridge's West Campus. This is the first time that a custom-made driverless shuttle has operated a route in the UK while surrounded by other traffic, bicycles and pedestrians. Each shuttle will be able to seat 10 passengers after social distancing measures are lifted, with the passengers selected for the trial using an app to arrange a journey. The streets of Cambridge are to play host to Britain's first self-driving shuttle (pictured) from today in milestone tests that will see the bus ferry passengers on a busy main road Aurrigo's Auto-Shuttle is the world's first conventionally driven electric and autonomous purpose-built vehicle.

The streets of Cambridge are to play host to Britain's first self-driving shuttle from today in milestone tests that will see the bus ferry passengers on a busy main road. Developed by Aurrigo, the three Auto-Shuttles will run a two-mile route from Madingley Road Park and Ride around the University of Cambridge's West Campus. This is the first time that a custom-made driverless shuttle has operated a route in the UK while surrounded by other traffic, bicycles and pedestrians. Each shuttle will be able to seat 10 passengers after social distancing measures are lifted, with the passengers selected for the trial using an app to arrange a journey. The streets of Cambridge are to play host to Britain's first self-driving shuttle (pictured) from today in milestone tests that will see the bus ferry passengers on a busy main road Aurrigo's Auto-Shuttle is the world's first conventionally driven electric and autonomous purpose-built vehicle.

The Mayo Clinic in Florida is using self-driving shuttles to ferry coronavirus test from a drive-thru location to its Jacksonville campus. Four vehicles have been making round trips every day since March 30th in a bid to limit exposure and free up medical staff from having to deliver the tests. Healthcare workers place the samples into a secure container and loads it into a van that deliveries it to be processed. The route is isolated from pedestrians and traffic and the van is followed by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to ensure a safe journey. This is the'first time in history' autonomous vehicles are being used to transport medical supplies.

Texas A&M University is modifying its self-driving pilot program in the city of Bryan, Texas, to have humans remotely monitor and operate the shuttles starting in September, making it one of the first commercial deployments of teleoperation technology in the country. The teleoperation technology is being provided by a Portland, Oregon-based startup called Designated Driver. It will allow humans at Texas A&M to remotely control the shuttles in situations where the self-driving system may not be up to snuff, and they'll also be able to interact with passengers on board. The new functionality could help solve a problem that similarly nascent autonomous shuttle programs have run into: crashes. The low-speed autonomous shuttles currently whispering their way around a handful of downtown areas and campuses across the country are among the first real-world tests of self-driving technology.

Self-driving vehicle company, Optimus Ride, has launched a fleet of autonomous shuttles in New York City's Brooklyn Navy Yard for what will be the city's biggest test of self-driving tech to date. According to the company, the six self-driving cars will serve passengers only on the Navy Yards' private roads as well through a loop shuttle service connecting NYC Ferry passengers from dock 72 to a gate next to Flushing Avenue. Vehicles will operated from 7 pm until 10 pm and be chaperoned by two safety attendants -- one in the drivers seat to intervene if necessary and another in the passenger seat logging the vehicles' performance. For now, the rides will be free according to The Verge, as Optimus has received $18 million in its first round of funding and is in contract with the Navy Yard for an undisclosed sum. Optimus says its expecting to service 500 passengers per day and cater to the roughly 10,000 workers that are based there.

Elizabeth Keatinge tells us about Tesla's Autonomy Investor Day where robotaxis were discussed. PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A self-driving shuttle got pulled over by police on its first day carrying passengers on a new Rhode Island route. Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements said an officer pulled over the odd-looking autonomous vehicle because he had never seen one before. "It looked like an oversize golf cart," Clements said. The vehicle, operated by Michigan-based May Mobility, was dropping off passengers Wednesday morning at Providence's Olneyville Square when a police cruiser arrived with blinking lights and a siren.

Select commuters in New York City and Fairfield, California will have a chance to pioneer a fleet of autonomous vehicles slated to begin serving the cities later this year. Boston-based, Optimus Ride, announced that in the second quarter of 2019 it will deploy a fleet of autonomous cars at New York City's Brooklyn Navy Yard, an up-and-coming modern industrial and business park, as well as Paradise Valley Estates, a senior community in Fairfield, California. For New York, the introduction of Optimus' fully autonomous vehicles will mark the first-ever commercial self-driving car to tread in New York State where it will have a chance to offer rides to thousands of commuters. According to the company, the New York self-driving cars will help serve passengers on the Navy Yards private roads as well as'providing a loop shuttle service to connect NYC Ferry passengers to Flushing Avenue outside the Yard's perimeter.' In Paradise Valley, the cars will serve to provide potential residents of the community their own tours of the neighborhood and in the later phases of its deployment, be able to serve current residents looking to travel to destinations within the gated community.

Visitors to Columbus, Ohio, have a new way to see the city's downtown attractions. The pilot project, which began in mid-December, belongs to a larger statewide effort to improve road safety and mobility in this car-dependent capital. "What we're looking at is, how do we apply technology to improve people's lives in a transportation context?" says Jordan Davis, director of Smart Columbus, which spearheads the fleet project. "We want to keep stretching the technology of self-driving vehicles to solve real use cases in our communities." Smart Columbus, launched in 2016 after the city bested 77 mid-sized U.S. cities for a pool of "smart transportation" funding.

Ariel Moore exhaled sharply and lifted her arms to the sky. "I have arrived alive!" she said to no one in particular. This should not be notable. Moore just took a half-mile ride in a six-seat shuttle, one of several that run in a loop between her office in downtown Detroit and the garage where she parks her car. But on that sunny June day, she and her colleagues at real estate company Bedrock also did something quietly remarkable.