It's only progress when you can trust it
4 minute read
Can a taxi ride be as exciting or welcoming as the passenger's destination? If it's our eye- and attention-getting IONIQ 5 robotaxi, the answer is a definite yes. Created as an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi provides safe and convenient public ride-hailing services.
As an innovative combination of Hyundai Motor Company's far-reaching automotive R&D and Motional's driverless technology, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi embodies the two most transformative forces shaping mobility — electrification and autonomy. However, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi is more than another convenient ridesharing vehicle that takes you from point A to point B. It's freedom on wheels! By providing fast, safe, and reliable freedom of mobility, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi is the ideal choice for all those with limitations that impair them from this fundamental human need: a sense of autonomy.
Meet Pearl
If you want to know how life-enhancing freedom of movement and driving autonomy can be, ask Pearl Outlaw. Pearl is a visually impaired young woman whose blindness prevents her from getting to places on her own by car. Growing up, her life was full of activities, including volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, cross-country running, horseback riding, gymnastics, and rowing.
However, at age 9, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disorder of the eyes that causes gradual vision loss. This caused her to lose her vision entirely around the time her peers started to get their driver's licenses. She says that blindness isn't preventing her from living a full life. That said, the most challenging thing that prevents her from doing everything she wants to do is a lack of accessibility to transportation. Pearl always thought she'd be able to get her license like her friends – but due to her visual impairments, she had to make other plans. We asked Pearl and her mother to imagine how different Pearl's life would be if she had access to an autonomous vehicle — and for Pearl, the possibilities are endless.
But is it safe?
Autonomous vehicles offer a multitude of benefits that help bring freedom of mobility to everyone. Of course, as with any new technology, its reliability must be proven and accepted by those who use it. Trust is one of the main factors that polarizes the public's acceptance of autonomous vehicles. People are still expressing fear and doubt about the safety and accuracy of self-driving cars.
Winning trust every mile
To demonstrate that autonomous driving technology is a safe, accurate, and reliable solution for people like Pearl, we at Hyundai Motor Company decided to put the IONIQ 5 robotaxi through a real-life driving test conducted by an experienced driving examiner — Kandice Jones. As an experienced driving instructor, she has worked for the DMV for many years and states that her utmost priority is safety. And her standards are exceptionally high: some days, she would pass as few as 5% of people taking the exam. For her, some of the most challenging things her students struggle with are lane changes and avoiding unforeseen obstacles. That's why she put the IONIQ 5 robotaxi precisely through these tests.
Test successfully completed
The IONIQ 5 robotaxi easily passed numerous obstacles and challenges, becoming the first autonomous car to pass a driving test. The IONIQ 5 robotaxi navigated a driving test around Las Vegas, adeptly adhering to the examiner's directions as it traversed through the bustling traffic of the iconic The Strip. It executed all the required maneuvers, both in the city's suburban areas and amidst numerous obstacles and challenges. It became the first autonomous vehicle to pass a driving test, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of self-driving technology.
A sense of freedom
For Pearl, the IONIQ 5 robotaxi getting its "license" is as symbolic as it is exciting. For her, it represents concrete access to free movement, especially for people with limited accessibility, and the fulfillment of a fundamental right.
Pearl meets the IONIQ 5 robotaxi for the first time and is greeted by the seamless Automated Onboarding Process, and utilizes its three hard keys to easily set her destination.
The IONIQ 5 robotaxi comes to a stop, parking at a horseback riding ranch – something she said she'd always wanted to do if she had access to a self-driving car.
IONIQ 5 robotaxi’s Autonomous Driving Technology
The ‘magic’ behind the IONIQ 5 robotaxi’s ability to smoothly pass this test lies in its advanced sensors. Equipped with a suite of LiDARs, radars, and cameras, the robotaxi is always capable of being aware of its surroundings.
The 3 sensors each have different roles. The LiDAR measures distance, the radar detects nearby objects and obstacles regardless of the weather condition, and the cameras have the ability to differentiate between objects. Its sensors, alongside its innovative technology, enables IONIQ 5 robotaxi to drive in a safe and consistent way in various different environments.
Follow @hyundai on instagram to see the IONIQ 5 robotaxi rocking the driver's test!