- Title: Dubai tests autonomous pods in drive for smart city
- Date: 1st March 2018
- Summary: DUBAI, UAE (FEBRUARY 28, 2018) (REUTERS) AUTONOMOUS PODS STATIONED AT CITY WALK WITH BURJ KHALIFA IN BACKGROUND AUTONOMOUS PODS / TRAFFIC SEEN PASSING IN REFLECTION DIRECTOR OF AUTOMATED COLLECTION SYSTEMS AT DUBAI'S ROADS AND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY (RTA), KHALED AL AWADHI, STANDING WITH PEOPLE VARIOUS OF AUTONOMOUS PODS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF AUTOMATED COLLECTION SYSTEMS AT RTA, KHALED AL AWADHI, SAYING: "The department supported with 1.5 million dirhams ($408,000), from the Future Accelerators programme and the goal is to develop these two research vehicles. Through the tests that I have mentioned, we will develop the performance of the vehicle." VARIOUS OF AUTNOMOUS PODS DETACHING FROM ONE ANOTHER POD INTERIOR SHOWING SEATS SIGN INSIDE POD SHOWING HEIGHT READING (Arabic/English): "HEIGHT 2.82 METERS" VARIOUS OF CONTROL PANEL INSIDE POD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF AUTOMATED COLLECTION SYSTEMS AT RTA, KHALED AL AWADHI, SAYING: "Of course, we are currently at the trial stage. These vehicles were manufactured in Italy in January of this year and were shipped directly to the emirate of Dubai to conduct its first tests in the UAE. The tests will continue until mid-2019 and we expect, God willing, that by the end of this year or the beginning of 2019 we will announce the plan to use these vehicles in the emirate of Dubai." VARIOUS OF PODS SIGN ON POD READING (English): "DUBAI AUTONOMOUS PODS" VARIOUS OF PODS REATTACHING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DIRECTOR OF AUTOMATED COLLECTION SYSTEMS AT RTA, KHALED AL AWADHI, SAYING, SAYING: "The speed that we are testing today does not exceed 20 kilometres per hour but in the future, these vehicles will certainly move at a faster speed, maybe close to the speed of the tram or maybe even the metro. Theoretically, these vehicles can travel at a speed of up to 80 kilometres per hour but the speed will depend on the routes and areas where it will be made available." VARIOUS OF AUTONOMOUS PODS
- Embargoed: 15th March 2018 15:16
- Keywords: Autonomous pods street pods driverless pods autonomous pods in Dubai Dubai transportation
- Location: DUBAI, UAE
- City: DUBAI, UAE
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Topics: Science
- Reuters ID: LVA001855SM6T
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dubai tested autonomous pods for transportation as the Gulf emirate eyes becoming one of the smartest cities in the world.
The pods were manufactured in Italy by U.S.-based company Next Future Transportation, and shipped to Dubai for testing.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has committed 1.5 million dirhams ($408,000) to research and develop the vehicles, according to Khaled Al Awadhi, the director of Automated Collection Systems at RTA.
"The tests will continue until mid-2019 and we expect, God willing, that by the end of this year or the beginning of 2019 we will announce the plan to use these vehicles in the emirate of Dubai," he said.
The vehicles are 100% electrically powered and have been tested at a speed of 20 kilometres an hour, but have a top speed of up to 80 kilometres an hour.
Each vehicle has six seats but can carry up to 10 people, with room for four people to stand.
Al Awadhi also said that the pods are only one of several projects of this kind, with other ones in the pipeline such as self-driving buses.
Dubai plans to transform 25% of daily transportation to become self-driving by 2030. Last year the emirate tested a flying taxi, hoping to launch the world's first drone taxi service.
The UAE has sought to distinguish itself in a region mired in war and strife as a high-tech, forward-looking society.
It plans to send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021, the Arab world's first mission to space, and Dubai has in many ways led their showy march into the future by introducing the region's first driverless metro and robot policemen prototypes. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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