Drive.ai launches a self-driving car service in Frisco, Texas

What if you could push a button on your phone and a self-driving car arrived to take you to work? This will be a reality in July 2018 close to where I live!

The fortunate residents of Frisco, Texas will soon see a self-driving car service deployed on their streets by Drive.ai, a California-based self-driving company.

This is a pilot project that will run for six months and during that time will provide over 10,000 people a complimentary ride to retail, entertainment and office space within a geo-fenced area of Frisco.

Drive.AI is working closely with the Frisco Transportation Management Association (TMA), beginning with fixed pickup and drop-off locations around HALL Park and The Star, and with planned expansion into Frisco Station.

Push a button to grab a self-driving ride

How do you secure your spot in the next self-driving car? With an app of course.

Leading up to the July launch date, office employees, residents, and patrons of these partners’ Frisco developments will gradually gain access to the Drive.AI’s ride-hailing app. Simply push a button and grab your complimentary on-demand ride.

“Frisco is recognized as a leader in using ‘smart,’ innovative traffic technologies,” said Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney. “Drive.ai’s autonomous vehicles will help people get around one of our most vibrant, commercial areas along Frisco’s ‘North Platinum Corridor.’”

“Self-driving cars are here, and can improve the way we live right now,” said Sameep Tandon, co-founder, and CEO of Drive.ai. “Our technology is safe, smart, and adaptive, and we are ready to work with governments and businesses to solve their transportation needs.”

Real-world situations

In order to make self-driving cars both safer and more efficient, vast data needs to be collected and analyzed. Its this data that allows the deep machine algorithm to learn and create reactive and adaptive algorithms to an almost infinite number of situations. All these scanrios cannot be simulated in a lab.

By having a strictly defined route, with specific pickup and drop off areas, the company is able to have better control of the environment.

Safety First

Initially, the cars will still have a human-backup driver to take over should the situation require to do so. However, in the future, even the human-backup driver will be removed. I can only assume that the vehicles will be continuously monitored from a control center with someone’s hand hovering over the emergency stop button…just in case.

So if you still think that self-driving cars are only going to be seen on our roads in the future? Well, if the “future” is July 2018, then you are right.

For more info, check out RideFriscoAV.com