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| Intel launches robot taxis in Germany in 2022 |
Intel-based Mobileye, which specializes in supplying chips for vision-based self-driving cars, has announced that it will launch an automated taxi service in Germany in 2022.
This is the latest major initiative by a company that wants to respond to the trend of autonomous vehicle development by becoming a provider of autonomous driving technology as well as fleet operators and service providers.
The taxi service is operated in association with German car rental company Sixt and mobile data company Moovit, which was recently acquired by Intel for US$900 million.
Customers can order a vehicle via the Sixt or Mobileye app. But it won't be a fully qualified automated taxi service when it starts.
Mobileye has announced that it will begin its first passenger tests in Munich in 2022. But it will not move from testing to full commercial operation until it is approved by the German regulator.
"The vehicle also includes a precision driver prior to obtaining regulatory approval," a company spokesperson said.
Among today's self-driving companies, Mobileye's plans for the future are ambitious. The company develops four different products that offer different degrees of automation.
This also includes ADAS, which is currently available to 25 companies. In collaboration with Zeekr, the electric vehicle brand recently announced by Geely, the company has launched the ADAS Advanced driver assistance system.
Intel launches robot taxis in Germany in 2022
None of the advanced ADAS driver assistance systems will feature lidar, which uses lasers to locate objects in real time on the road.
Mobileye's other two products use Lidar, Mobileye Drive's proprietary autopilot system, which uses the company's EyeQ system on a chip.
Plus a data crowdsourcing program called Road Experience Management, or REM. It uses real-time data from Mobileye-equipped vehicles to create a comprehensive 3D map.
The product is used by customers such as Udelv, Transdev, Lohr and Schaeffler in applications such as delivery vehicles and automated shuttles.
Intel has already announced that it will work with Volkswagen to test automated taxi services in Israel. It is also scheduled to start in 2022.
In addition, the chip maker has signed a contract to test self-driving cars in South Korea and provide automated taxi services. These plans must also be approved by local regulatory authorities.