From time immemorial, moving vehicles have had to be propelled to move by something not part of its intricate design. In the olden days, carts, for instance, didn’t just move by themselves, they had to be pulled by horses or donkeys and when cars were manufactured a while later, human beings had to be at the wheels to drive them forward or backward. The point is, these moving vehicular designs all had to be propelled to move. They didn’t move by themselves.
But the world has changed and is still changing really fast as we speak. Things are now being done differently including, of course, the way transportation takes place.
Technology has now aided the production of automobiles that can actually drive themselves without anyone at the wheel.
Cars Without Drivers
Cars have already been produced to function without drivers in the past. Already many cars are driving themselves on the roads in the USA particularly in Michigan, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. It should be noted that these cars have actually been restricted to specified test areas and put under some driving regulations however it is now very clear that very soon, they will take to the roads and drive just the way other cars with drivers are doing.
It is already a popular opinion that completely driverless cars will soon become a mainstream reality and even become a better alternative to their traditional counterparts.
Self-Driving Buses Are Now A Reality
Apart from just cars, self-driving buses are now a reality because they are being produced and conditioned to drive themselves, it has been reported.
The normal procedure for commuting in buses has always been this way; stand at a bus stop and wait for a vehicle to come driving by, flag down a bus when you see one and then proceed into the vehicle after which you will have to pay the driver the fare before sitting down to enjoy the ride.
However, with new developments, things are about to change slightly. That aspect where you have to hand the driver the bus fare and then sit down to watch him drive you to your destination is about to be cut out of the equation.
Baidu Is Mass-Producing Buses That Can Drive Themselves
To the huge admiration of the world tech community, Baidu, which happens to be one of the biggest technology companies in the whole of China, has announced that it is developing and mass-producing self-driving buses. These vehicles are called the Apolong buses.
This huge announcement was made by Baidu recently after the company finished producing its 100th Apolong vehicle. The vehicles are being produced at China’s south-eastern province, it has been reported.
The company has announced that the Apolong buses will first be put to use commercially within cities in China but will surely expand and eventually spread to foreign markets around the world.
Apparently, this new development is sparking some buzz around the world. Everyone is waiting to see just how much people will accept these buses and if they will eventually be preferable to the traditional buses that have drivers at the wheels.
Speaking on the design of the vehicle as well as plans to bring it to the toads, Mr. Robin Li, who is the chief executive of Baidu, explained that China is finally ready to export AI technology to the world and not merely cheap commodities.
He made the remarks when he took the stage at the company’s annual artificial intelligence developer conference which tool place Beijing, to detail his plans for the production and introduction of the Apolong vehicles.
In his words: “2018 marks the first year of commercialization for autonomous driving.
“In the past, China exported cheap commodities to the world. In the future, China will export AI technology to the world.” sic: BBC
The Apolong Buses – The Specifications
The Baidu tech company has revealed that every Apolong bus has been designed with a space that can accommodate as many as 14 persons all at once.
This truly fascinating vehicle, as expected, has no steering wheel, no driver’s seat or pedals – only passengers sitting quietly to be transported to their destinations.
Unlike the normal buses are powered by fuel, the Apolong vehicles actually run on electric power.
Also, Baidu explains that the buses can indeed travel up to 100km/h. This is after a two-hour charge, at which time the vehicles can move at the speed of up to 70km/h.