Zoox, the autonomous technology developer owned by Amazon, has expanded its driverless robotaxi operations in California and Nevada.
The company introduced longer routes, extended operational hours, and increased top speeds of its purpose-built electric vehicles to 45 mph. Zoox's unique approach involves designing bespoke EVs without pedals or a steering wheel.
Since starting public rides in Foster City (California) in February 2023, and expanding to Las Vegas in June 2023, Zoox has made significant progress. Expanding its Las Vegas geofence to a larger and more complex area, Zoox's robotaxis are now navigating three-lane roads, lane changes, and unprotected turns onto high-speed roadways, gathering valuable data as they encounter the busiest driving conditions to date. Moreover, Zoox has enhanced the autonomous driving capabilities of its robotaxi, allowing them to operate at speeds of up to 45 mph, even in light rain and at night.
Trying to overcoming challenges such as reliable long-range detections and adjusting to different lighting conditions, Zoox's perception team says it enhanced the robustness of the vehicle's Perception system. By leveraging data from new geofences and refining machine-learning models, Zoox aims at further expanding its capabilities.
These advancements bring Zoox closer to offering commercial services.
Source: Zoox blog (https://zoox.com/journal/zoox-update-03-14)
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