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The
one-seater, four wheel, 50 kg (110 lbs) vehicle travels at a top
speed of 6 kmh (4 mph) and has laser sensors to help navigate
around obstacles.
The scooter, developed by the National University of Singapore (NUS),
is the city-state's latest experiment with driverless vehicles
as it pushes ahead with its vision of using autonomous
technology to help deal with the challenges of its limited land
and labor.
The scooter has undergone successful tests on campus and
developers said it can help improve mobility for all ages, cut
down on the need for cars and also lower accident rates.
"I'm sure you have experienced people who just use their
handphone while walking, and almost run into you ... so it would
be nice if you are just sitting down and checking your emails,"
said NUS Associate Professor and project leader Marcelo Ang Jr.
"We just give you more choices."
Ang Jr said that the scooter would be able to work in tandem
with other driverless vehicles in Singapore, where robo-taxis
are being tested and trials are planned for self-driving buses.
He said the scooter was meant for use on narrow pathways which
larger vehicles cannot access.
Currently the scooter takes a few seconds to calibrate a
different route when it nears an obstacle - something Ang Jr.
said the team was looking to improve.
Users, though, did not seem too bothered by the brief pause.
"It goes really smoothly and travels very safely," said student
Kevin Xiangyu Hui, who tested the scooter.
The project, a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and
Technology (SMART), and NUS will be further tested and is not
for sale.
(Editing by Marius Zaharia/Patrick Johnston; Editing by Michael
Perry)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
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