The race for releasing autonomous vehicles is entering its final stages. Many companies worldwide are working on their robotic vehicle projects, but Elon Musk seems to be the closest to a working solution.
He is on the verge of creating a fully-working automated taxi by the end of 2020. Tesla wants to release over 1 million robotaxi vehicles but is still waiting for regulatory approval.
Musk announced the robotaxi project during the Autonomy Day event last year. The world is amped and waiting for Tesla to complete the project by the end of the year.
The Idea Behind Robotaxi
When Musk talked about releasing over 1 million robotaxi vehicles by the end of 2020, no one believed something like that was even possible. However, Tesla seems to have prepared everything needed to realize the projects. The only thing holding it back at the moment is the many regulatory approvals required to get things started.
Musk's idea is to provide people with a ride-sharing app similar to Uber, Airbnb, or Rideshare delivery. People who have properly equipped vehicles can become a part of the app, and Tesla will take up to 30% of the revenue made by every ride. If there are not enough cars that fit the bill, Tesla will provide a fleet of robotaxi vehicles to meet the market.
All of Tesla's vehicles come with a built-in self-driving computer chip these days, so something like this is more than possible. The so-called Tesla Network project will allow all Tesla owners to become a part of the new ride-sharing app.
These chips found in all Tesla vehicles after 2018 are the best in the world, according to Musk. Those chips include features like forward-facing radars and cameras. Other manufacturers of autonomous vehicles say that Tesla's chip is missing some critical features like light detection and ranging radar sensors, but Musk disagrees.
He is adamant about making this plan a reality by the end of the year, that is if the governments do their part.
Missing Regulations are an Issue
When Musk said that Tesla is waiting for regulatory approval to release the robotaxi project, he wasn't kidding. There's a massive issue with autonomous vehicles at the moment. The government has still not been able to create any laws or regulations on autonomous vehicles. There are some loose guidelines, but other than that, these vehicles are still not recognized as a viable means of transportation.
But, since all vehicles have steering wheels and pedals, just like normal cars, the government doesn't know how to approach the issue. While Tesla cars can be fully autonomous, they are still regular cars that fit under standard laws.
Most people think that it's not the cars holding everything back, it's the ride-hailing network Musk is so keen on releasing. Tesla didn't provide sufficient information about how everything works, so local state laws can't still be implemented.
These problems have not impacted Musk's idea to have over 1 million vehicles on the road in 2020. The company is working hard to meet the plans, and they have released over 1 million vehicles total in March of 2020. Pretty soon, apps like www.rideshare.com might be shutting down once Musk's dream becomes a reality.
Road to 1,000,000 Cars
Let's put things this way, without the massive technology advancements like 5G, ultrasonic sensors, and LIDAR, we wouldn't be talking about robotaxi or autonomous vehicles. It seems like this was still something years away just a couple of years ago, but the latest technological breakthroughs are pushing the world into the new normal faster than expected.
These technologies will make it possible for autonomous vehicles to drive on the same roads as manual cars. With the addition of blockchain and micropayment Lightning Network by Bitcoin, things are starting to take shape. Elon Musk is famous for his determination, and he's already worked against popular belief in the past. He doesn't care about what other companies or governments say.
He keeps improving his technologies until they reach the level no one can argue with. Since he's one of those who don't have a problem swimming up the river, he completely dismissed the use of LIDAR. While other companies spend millions on their autonomous vehicle projects, including Google, Waymo, GM, and Ford, Tesla is taking a completely different approach.
Instead of using the same LIDAR technology everyone else thinks is critical, Tesla's robotaxi cars rely on eight surround cameras and a dozen ultrasonic sensors. Musk is sure that his approach is as good as LIDAR, maybe even better. He stated that "LIDAR is a fool's errand," and he thinks that the technology is just too expensive for mass production.
Tesla Fuses The Old With The New
Instead of creating a new infrastructure entirely, Tesla cars can drive themselves on existing roads without any upgrades. The multiple cameras and sensors can recognize other vehicles on the road, and the on-board computer has what it takes to navigate the car without LIDAR technology.
While autonomous cars will surely bring a whole new dynamic to transportation, Tesla's solution is to use fast CPUs to make decisions on the go, much like real drivers. That includes actions like avoiding objects and people, keeping a safe distance from other cars on the road, and making sure that the car follows all safety laws.
Imagine going to the rideshare website to hitch a ride, and then picking the driving you want. The idea is to give the rider a few different driving preference options, and Tesla's network will keep track of what's going on in realtime. All of this sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but it's already here!
The Future Is Now
Believe it or not, we are living in a world where self-driving cars will become a reality in a matter of months. We can only imagine how things will look like in 5 to 10 years. Pretty soon, we won't have to get a driver's license to drive a car, as cars will drive themselves. A few more years and the world as we know it will become an interactive playground for high-end technologies.
