Nuro is an American automated firm established in Mountain View, California which was launched by Google’s ex engineers- Jiajun Zhu and Dave Ferguson. According to reports, Nuro was the first company to be exempted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration because it provides services to deliver items and not humans.
Nuro Inc., has been testing its automobiles in the state of California since 2017. On Dec 23, 2020, the company declared that it now has the permission to start delivering food items, medicine, and other goods. It has also been informed that the permit will charge Nuro service’s customers. Steve Gordon, the director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles appreciated Nuro stating that receiving the first permit has been an important breakthrough in the advancement of autonomous automobiles, in the state of California. These car tests will be practiced on Oxford roads.
This service has been approved to be operated with the currently available retail partners in specific areas of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties around the Bay area, including various cities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain view, Woodside and Sunnyvale. This started when two latest projects which involved robotaxis were approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Specifications of the R2 Custom-made Car
These automobiles are instructed to operate without a driver or passenger in them.
- This automobile is egg-like shaped and is smaller than a larger percentage of cars in the United States.
- The speed limit is said to be 56km/h (35mph) for other automobiles but Nuro’s speed is limited to 25mph.
- The R2 operates with radar, thermal imaging, and omnidirectional cameras that directs the car when in motion.
- Does not support steering wheel and side-view mirrors.
- It provides two temperature-control sections for deliveries, and doors raise up once the recipient enters a code to pick up their ordered items.
- The automobiles have only been allowed to operate on surface streets.
- It only works in ‘good whether conditions’.
Driverless Deliveries on Trial
However, driverless vehicles have been operating in Arizona, Phoenix, as a part of Google’s Waymo service, since October. In China’s largest city Shanghai, a similar service supported by the online-tech and real giant Alibaba, is currently on trial.
The company said that it is a limited try-out, but a big step towards a driverless future. David Bailey a professor from University of Birmingham, said that it will be limited for the start so that the system is tested thoroughly. The trial was also implemented in Houston, Texas, in February where R2 delivered a pizza for Domino’s Pizza, products for Walmart, and food essentials from the supermarket. This had pronounced to be the globe’s many trials involving the use of autonomous vehicles. Even after noticing all these trials, a transport expert cautioned that safety will still be a concern. Although, the company assured that during technology advancement, it will meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and will make sure that every public applicant presents how their automobiles can avoid accidents. The permitted applicants must also have a plan on how the automobile will be able to communicate with the police incase of any emergencies.
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