World's First Commercially Available Self-Driving Car Launches

717SharesShareTweetShareWhat's This?By Samantha Murphy Kelly2014-01-07 01:00:05 UTC

LAS VEGAS — Companies like Google have been toying with the concept of self-driving cars for years, but France-based robotics company Induct announced on Monday that its intelligent, electric and driverless vehicle is now available in the U.S.

The Navia shuttle — which can carry up to eight passengers — launched on Monday at the 2014 International CES show in Las Vegas, making it the world's first commercially available self-driving vehicle.

SEE ALSO: Panasonic Unveils Facial-Recognition TVs

The car will most likely be used at public places such as airports, college campuses, theme parks or sports arenas to eliminate pollution and congestion, rather than for home use. Navia costs about $250,000, which is about 40% less than the cost for operating a similar shuttle with a driver.

"Navia is different than other driverless vehicles out there because it is intelligent, self sufficient and environmentally friendly," a company rep told Mashable. "Users can summon Navia from their smartphones like an Uber for driverless cars or call it up from their desktop."

After boarding the shuttle, passengers use a touchscreen to select where they want to go. The shuttle also doesn't need a special infrastructure such as rails or a designated path, so it can travel anywhere.

The vehicle, which doesn't go faster than 12.5 mph, uses onboard lasers and sensors to detect obstacles in its path, so it doesn't rely on GPS to get from one point to another. The vehicle also uses different camera viewpoints to allow depth mapping and 3D perception to make sure it steers clear of pedestrians and other roadside objects.

"Navia can operate in any environment, with the necessary authorizations from local city, state and national authorities," the spokesperson said. "We’ve already worked with several beta testers to enable the use of Navia at their locations with little issue."

It's currently deployed in beta version at a technical college in Switzerland (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) and a high-security industry park run by the United Kingdom Atomic energy Authority.

For information about how to purchase the Navia shuttle, contact the company here.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

CES 2014Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle

Unveiled today at CES, Toyota debuted it's latest Fuel Cell Vehicle concept car. Fuel cell vehicles combine pure hydrogen with air to create water, a reaction that also produces electricity. The fuel cell channels the electricity to a drive motor, powering the car.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenSamsung Curved Televisions

Samsung's U9000 UHD TVs feature a wider field of view and a balanced and uniform viewing distance across all areas of the screen. The company claims that a curved TV offers up to two times the enhanced contrast ratio of a flat TV in a normal viewing environment.

EyeLock Myris

The Eyelock Myris takes biometric security to the next level. Plug this device into your device's USB port, and it will scan your eye to grant access.

Image: Mashable, Kenny SuleimanagichLG G Flex

LG G Flex, the first curved phone with a "flexible" display, is moving out of the lab and into U.S. markets in the first quarter of 2014.

Image: Mashable, Will FenstermakerPanasonic Facial-Recognition TV

Panasonic has dropped the production of plasma TVs, instead focus efforts on increased levels of interaction. The Life+ will come in both 4K and 1080p, but the real feature of note is facial recognition.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenPebble Steel Debut

For CES 2014, Pebble is showing off its new Pebble 2.0 software, the Pebble app store and Pebble Steel, its premium smart watch. Like the original Pebble, the Pebble Steel is waterproof and has a battery life of 5 to 7 days. The e-paper display is the same, too — only now it's covered with Corning Gorilla Glass.

Image: PebbleThinkPad 8

The Lenovo ThinkPad 8 is sized to compete with the iPad Mini, but the comparison is only skin deep. Lance Ulanoff wonders if Windows 8.1 can compete with Android and iOS.

Image: MashableSharp's New Aquos Quattron+ TVs

Sharp's Aquos Quattron technology is capable of creating a picture that comes close to 4K, but from a 1080p set. The new TV's start at a decent price point – the SQ Q+ TVs start a $2,299.99 and the UQ models start at $2,999.99.

Image: MashablePhilips PicoPix PPX3610

Philips' new PicoPix PPX3610

Image: Mashable, Christina AscaniSchwinn CycleNav Smart Bike Navigator

Schwinn unveiled the CycleNav Smart Bike Navigator. Schwinn CycleNav is a free mobile application paired with a handlebar-mounted smart-bike navigation unit designed to give riders turn-by-turn audio and visual navigation from their handlebars.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenSOL Republic Relays

The SOL Republic Relays are designed to fill two niches: everyday wear and fitness wear. Mashable reporter Pete Pachal says they're some of the most comfortable he's worn.

Image: Mashable, Christina AscaniToshiba Chromebook

Toshiba joins the list of Chromebook manufacturers with a 13.3-inch netbook. While it isn't the largest-resolution Chromebook on the market, Toshiba's Chromebook has an impressive $279 price tag.

Image: Mashable, Christina AscaniSkulpt Aim

The Skulpt Aim, smaller than an iPhone, collects data when pressed against your muscles. Use it to track body-fat or set and share goals.

Image: SkulptJune bracelet

This smart bracelet, from Neatatmo, measures sun exposure and connects to iOS devices to let users know if they've had too much (or too little) sun.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenTao exercise device

The Tao coaches you through 50 exercises related to isometrics — the science of applying pressure, which is the basis of many popular workouts such as pilates and plank exercising — and adds a gaming element.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenWithings Aura Sleep System

Withings sleep system works with a pressure-sensitive pad and a light system that measures the appropriate time to wake you and the appropriate hues for falling asleep and waking up.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenSphero 2B

At CES Unveiled, Sphero introduced the 2B model, the second model of the popular Orbotix toy.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenKolibree Smart Toothbrush

Kolibree introduced a smart toothbrush that monitors user's brushing habits and let's them keep track of their routines on an app.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenDrones, everywhere

Any CES wouldn't be complete without a fleet of drones. Parrot introduced a minidrone model at CES Unveiled.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-HansenChevy Brings 4G LTE to Cars

Chevrolet announced it is bringing 4G LTE to its OnStar infotainment system.

The 2015 Corvette Stingray has a performance data recorder which allows drivers to record hi-definition video and share with friends.

Image: Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen

Image: Induct

Topics:car tech, CES, Gadgets, Mobile, Robot, Tech, U.S., WorldLoad CommentsPowered by LivefyreWhat's HotMore in TechThe New StuffThe Next Big ThingWhat's HotThe New StuffThe Next Big ThingWhat's HotAbout UsJobsAdvertiseSubscribePrivacyTermsMashableis the largest independent online news site dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology. With more than 20 million unique monthly visitors, Mashable has one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.©2005-2014Mashable, Inc.Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited. All Rights Reserved.Designed in collaboration with Code & Theory

View the Original article