Human Test Dummies Wanted For Hyundai's New Experiment

There's a very good chance that within the next decade or so, we'll all have the ability to summon a self-driving vehicle via an app on our smartphones. It's also very likely that the vehicle will be a van or another similarly designed people hauler. Hyundai isn't wasting any time getting started. The automaker will begin a pilot program next month in its home market of South Korea to test what it very appropriately calls the "RoboShuttle."

A diesel-powered Hyundai H350 van has been fitted with advanced self-driving hardware and software technologies to create a demand-responsive, high-occupancy vehicle with Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. To clarify, a human being is still sitting in the driver's seat in case something goes wrong. Level 5 autonomy is the highest rating possible where no human involvement is needed.

AI将处理每一个thing, for better or worse. The technology was developed in-house by Hyundai's Autonomous Driving Center. A license for Level 3 autonomous driving has already been granted by South Korea's Land, Infrastructure, and Transport ministry. Why Level 3 and not 4? We're guessing because the government isn't confident enough yet in the latter.

The van's safety driver will still be required to pay some attention, but the van's tech is capable of perceiving its surroundings, making decisions, and driving itself on the open road with minimal help from the driver.