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In the United States, another stand-alone trial project has been launched. This time, Daimler and Bosch, one of the world's largest suppliers of automotive equipment and technologies, partnered to pilot a robotaxi service in San Jose, California.
The program will use automated Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles, the flagship luxury sedans of the German manufacturer, announced the company Thursday. The robotaxi trials will begin in the second half of 2019 in a geo-fenced area located in the San Carlos and Stevens Creek Corridor, between downtown and west San Jose.
The driver will use a VoIP service application managed by Daimler Mobility Services.
Some members of the public will have access to the app and will be able to hail an autonomous car from a designated pick-up location. The rides will all be monitored by a safety driver.
"The pilot project is an opportunity to explore how autonomous vehicles can help us better meet future transportation needs," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said in a statement.
For Daimler, this is an opportunity to bring together several of his companies as part of a self-driving test and see if they can work together. Daimler owns the Car2go Carpool Company, the Mytaxi Transportation Company, and its moovel mobility unit. According to Daimler, the goal is to provide a seamless digital experience.
Daimler and Bosch formed a partnership in 2017 to equip urban vehicles with fully autonomous vehicles "at the beginning of the next decade".
Since then, both companies have launched an automated valet system at the Mercedes-Benz Museum car park in Stuttgart, Germany. Meanwhile, Bosch is building a $ 1.1 billion site to produce semiconductors for autonomous cars, smart homes and smart city infrastructure. The Dresden-based chip factory is expected to start producing silicon commercially in 2021 and its construction is expected to be completed by 2019.
"We need to rethink urban transport. Automated driving will help us complete the picture of future urban traffic, "said Dr. Stephan Hönle, Senior Vice President of the Automated Driving Division of Robert Bosch GmbH.
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