We Rode a Self-Driving Shuttle Around Times Square

Our cocky-driving future has arrived at a well-baked speed of about 20mph.

While anybody from Google's Waymo to Uber to Lyft, and carmakers from Ford to Volkswagen continue to develop and examination more avant-garde self-driving vehicle tech, companies like Coast Autonomous have more pocket-sized autonomous ambitions.

Coast builds depression-speed democratic vehicles that are tiresome and uncomplicated by design; it as well built a prototype self-driving golf kart and armada direction software to manage them. This week, the Pasadena-based visitor demoed its cocky-driving P-i Shuttle in New York City on a 150-grand course in the middle of Times Square.

The P-1 is congenital with off-the-rack sensors and has a modular design that can be congenital in diverse sitting and standing room configurations. The shuttle can run on a pre-defined track, or in "depression-speed mixed traffic," simply the shuttle can only concur between 8 to xx people, so its use in major cities with heavy traffic may be rather limited. You hail it with a smartphone app.

After taking a ride ourselves, it'south clear that the most useful settings for Coast shuttles are on a smaller scale for hop-on, hop-off transportation in places like airports, higher campuses, and theme parks.

Coast expects to deploy its first fleets in 2022. Check out the video beneath for a closer look at the democratic shuttle during its NYC demo.

Almost Rob Marvin

Rob Marvin

Rob Marvin is PCMag's Associate Features Editor. He writes features, news, and trend stories on all manner of emerging technologies. Beats include: startups, concern and venture capital, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, AI, augmented and virtual reality, IoT and automation, legal cannabis tech, social media, streaming, security, mobile commerce, M&A, and amusement. Rob was previously Assistant Editor and Acquaintance Editor in PCMag'southward Business section. Prior to that, he served as an editor at SD Times. He graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. You can also find his business and tech coverage on Entrepreneur and Fox Business. Rob is too an unabashed nerd who does occasional amusement writing for …