You will be sitting in a driver-less cab in 2018, here’s what you need to know

With technology becoming more and more advance as the days go by, many of the things that you thought were not possible are slowly becoming reality.

You may think that self-driving cars are only stuff you will see in movies or after 2050 but the matter of fact is that this is slowly becoming a reality as cars being controlled by computer software are being developed to allow you the convenience of travelling on the roads without having to drive yourself.

If you thought that this is only being done in other countries, you will be surprised to know that this is coming to Singapore in the form of an R&D fleet of self-driving cabs being tested by nuTonomy, with plans to introduce this commercially by 2018.

nuTonomy is working together with EDBI, the investment arm of EDB which has provided funding to test this new technology on our roads. As explained by its creator, this new technology of self-driving cabs will become an opportunity for businesses to tap into the robo-taxi industry, which is said to be worth trillions of dollars.

The self-driving cabs are controlled by a software that includes functions such as navigation along urban areas and roads, smartphone-enabled apps that allow the flagging of these self-driving cabs, fleet planning for the autonomous fleet and the ability to control vehicles without physically being on it.

Review of the startup’s taxi service at One-north said that while the vehicle still needs to be fine-tuned, it has done a pretty good job navigating a more complicated environment.

This pilot programme is part of Singapore’s plans in developing the SmartNation vision, which includes the introduction of driverless vehicles in the future.

So do not be alarmed if you see a car moving along by itself in the near future when you are on the road. Who knows it may become the next big trend for transport options besides using Uber.