Driverless Taxi System To Make Air Freshener Trees Obsolete

We’ve heard about automated transport pods for years, but London’s Heathrow Airport has just opened the first complete system, a $US41 million network to take air travellers to their cars.

The four-passenger personal rapid transport (PRT) vehicles shuttle people from Terminal 5 to one of the airport’s parking lots. It’s as easy as hopping in, entering your destination on the touchscreen and sitting back while the vehicle navigates specially constructed mini-roads at 40 kilometres an hour to your lot of choice.

If successful, the 18-car system will be expanded with nearly 10x the funding, allowing air travellers to reach local hotels without traditional taxis. And while it all sounds fine and dandy, we hear these automated Johnny Cab drivers can sorta be dicks.

[Mirror via Fast Company via BBG]