Robot shuttles double as robotaxis says IDTechEx
BOSTON, Sept. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — As IDTechEx predicted in its report, “Robot Shuttles and Autonomous Buses 2020-2040”, robot shuttles are converging with robotaxis. Robot shuttles are a new type of vehicle that is limited to slow speeds for cities. Being silent, robotic and emission-free, they are expected to be allowed over piazzas and through indoor malls to deliver even children and the severely disabled right to their destination safe and dry. Cleverly, they are special boxy symmetric designs never needing to do a U-turn, so they access the tiniest spaces. They are designed to rapidly reconfigure as “last mile” freight carriers, mobile restaurants, school buses and more and display lucrative wide-area advertising. In contrast, robotaxis are analyzed in the IDTechEx report, “Autonomous Cars and Robotaxis 2020-2040”. They are autonomous, road-only taxis going fast and far for a lower cost than manned taxis due to intensive use, some being lent by private owners for part of the day. Physically they are little more than a regular car like a Tesla X.