Steven Spielberg’s 2002 blockbuster Minority Report envisioned a number of technological advancements that collectively engendered a terrifyingly fast-paced urban environment – none more so than automated cars, which crawled up walls and raced along the elevated highways of a frenetic, futuristic metropolis. That film was set in 2054, but researchers at the future division for Singapore’s Ministry of Transport aren't willing to wait until then: they have unveiled plans to open an entire neighborhood up to driverless cars in 2015. They are intending to form a shared taxi system akin to Uber, shuttling people to and from existing public transportation hubs, and their use will be analyzed with an eye to expanding the scope of the service in coming years. Singapore's SMART automated car. Via Techinasia This news follows hot on the heels of Google’s well-documented foray into self-driving automobiles: The tech giant’s curiously cute fleet of vehicles has been put through their paces in tests throughout the last two years. These cars undoubtedly remain the guinea pigs of the transportation world, but with the technology advancing at break-neck speeds, urban theorists have begun speculating how the widespread use of automated vehicles could change our cities ...
Steven Spielberg’s 2002 blockbuster Minority Report envisioned a number of technological advancements that collectively engendered a terrifyingly fast-paced urban environment – none more so than automated cars, which crawled up walls and raced along the elevated highways of a frenetic, futuristic metropolis. That film was set in 2054, but researchers at the future division for Singapore’s Ministry of Transport aren't willing to wait until then: they have unveiled plans to open an entire neighborhood up to driverless cars in 2015. They are intending to form a shared taxi system akin to Uber, shuttling people to and from existing public transportation hubs, and their use will be analyzed with an eye to expanding the scope of the service in coming years. Singapore's SMART automated car. Via Techinasia This news follows hot on the heels of Google’s well-documented foray into self-driving automobiles: The tech giant’s curiously cute fleet of vehicles has been put through their paces in tests throughout the last two years. These cars undoubtedly remain the guinea pigs of the transportation world, but with the technology advancing at break-neck speeds, urban theorists have begun speculating how the widespread use of automated vehicles could change our cities ...