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Driverless Taxi Offers Glimpse of Future

A South Korean university is testing a sedan that can pick up and transport passengers without a human driver, giving a glimpse into the future of autonomous public transport.

Seo Seung-Woo, director of the Intelligent Vehicle IT Research Center at Seoul National University, said the university has been testing the driverless taxi to transport disabled students around campus.

The vehicle, called Snuber, had been navigating the 4,109-square-meter campus for six months without any accidents. It works in conjunction with a hailing app created by the university.

Companies around the world are betting that automated driving technology will transform public transportation.

However, it is not yet ready for use outside the relatively controlled campus environment.

“It will take a huge amount of time and effort,” said Seo. “We need more tests in real traffic conditions.”

He predicted that by early 2020, a driverless car will be running between toll gates on highways. A door-to-door pickup service using a self-driving car is likely by early 2030, he said. The Associated Press

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