A fleet of 100 remote-controlled scooters is being tested at the technology testing site Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. It is the first test of this type on public roads.
Citizens will be able to use the scooter through an application and the vehicle will automatically return to its base when the route is completed. Go X created the scooter and ride-hailing application, while Tortoise developed the remote repositioning system.
During the first tests, which will last six months, the scooters will use a geo-fence to ensure that they remain within the designated 500-acre Curiosity Lab technology park. The park employs 7.500 people and has more than 1.000 lives.
The 100 scooters will be operated remotely by humans, but current tests could pave the way for full autonomy.
Betsy Plattenburg, CEO of Curiosity Lab, told Cities Today:
"What we learned at Curiosity Lab is that there are many micro-mobility solutions that can be autonomous, but what they need now is experience and data on artificial intelligence. One way to overcome this problem in the short term is to use telecommuting temporarily. ”
The trials were originally scheduled for January, but were delayed due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Go X has now implemented safety measures for COVID-19. Each vehicle is disinfected when it returns on its own and a sticker proves it is safe και απολυμασμένο για τον επόμενο που θέλει να το χρησιμοποιήσει. Κάθε υπάλληλος της Go X Apollo is also required to undergo a daily health check for COVID-19.
Curiosity Lab is funded by the City of Peachtree Corners, with free 5G access, infrastructure and copyright protection to provide a true testing environment for every smart technology in the city.
Plattenburg reported:
"What I can tell you from other companies that have tried Curiosity Lab is that a lot of what they learn is not what they started learning. You learn from experience. ”
This article was originally published by Sarah Wray in Cities Today, a news platform for urban mobility and innovation.
