So much attention has surrounded ChatGPT, Bard, and the emergence of the next big chatbot, that little thought or attention has been on the progress of autonomous vehicles and how close we are to seeing them on the roads and highways. In a frenzy to see what stocks chatbots recommend we invest in or to solve the world’s hardest mathematical equation, we forgot that there were technological advancements taking place that would soon change the way we travel and observe the world around us.
As reported by The Associated Press, a new way to get around downtown Orlando, Florida without the assistance of human drivers will be here by month’s end.
Beginning later this month, an electric, self-driving shuttle, SWAN (Shuttling with Autonomous Navigation), will take to the streets of downtown Orlando carrying passengers around a 1-mile (1.6 km) loop in the downtown area at no cost, Orlando officials said Wednesday.
The eight-passenger shuttle service is part of a six-month trial for the central Florida city. Transportation planners anticipate using data collected from the pilot program to direct the city’s future transportation strategy.
“With the expansion of autonomous vehicle shuttles into our neighborhoods, we can converge cutting-edge technology with new mobility solutions to further redefine the way our community moves,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said.
The autonomous shuttle service is operated by Beep Inc., an Orlando-based company that already operates a similar service in a planned community near
Orlando International Airport.
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