Robots are already far more widespread than many people realize. They’re now essential to many industries, unlocking new opportunities and avenues for innovation. One of the sectors that stands to gain the most from robots is transportation.
Outside of manufacturing, the implementation of robotics in transportation is a relatively recent phenomenon. Despite this relative novelty, robots have already made significant strides in the transportation industry, driving innovation across multiple sub-sectors and applications. Modern transportation wouldn’t be the same without robots, and the future will only serve to solidify this.
Here’s how robots are pushing the transportation industry forward and where they could go from here.
Self-Driving Cars
Perhaps the most iconic example of robots driving innovation in transport is self-driving cars. While fully autonomous vehicles are not yet a reality, automated features have already brought significant improvements to cars today. Automatic braking, lane correction, and adaptive cruise control are all examples of robotic control in today’s vehicles.
Automatic emergency braking has cut rear collisions by 50% in cars that have it. These systems rely on robotic technologies like machine vision to recognize and respond to obstacles. They then turn the entire vehicle into a type of robot, acting without human input.
The only things holding back fully autonomous cars today are robotic technologies that are not yet advanced enough. Their artificial intelligence (AI) systems have to respond remarkably quickly, even for a robot, and perform consistently in varying and unpredictable situations. As robots advance and these goals become possible, true self-driving cars will become a daily reality.
Autonomous Public Transport
While fully robotic passenger vehicles have proved a challenge, automating public transit may be easier. Buses, trains, and shuttles follow fixed routes, providing the predictability that robots today need to perform well. They also typically travel in dedicated spaces, reducing the risk of collision with other vehicles.
The city of Bad Birnbach, Germany, started testing an autonomous bus in 2017. Within the first year, it had completed more than 10,000 kilometers of driverless travel, carrying around 20,000 passengers. EasyMile, the company that made the autonomous shuttle, has since helped cities across the globe establish driverless bus routes.
In 2019, an autonomous train pulled 30 freight cars across 48 miles of track, showing the potential of driverless trains. As the U.S. looks to expand and modernize its rail system, autonomous trains could become commonplace. AI features like early braking could make rail travel safer, too.
Faster Production
While autonomous vehicles may be the most exciting application of robots in transportation, they’re far from the only one. A more common use case for robotics in the transport industry is in the manufacturing centers that build vehicles. Automation has become a critical part of car manufacturing, enabling higher output.
The Tesla Gigafactory leads the industry in robotics use, with some sections being 90% automated, requiring almost no human input. This high level of automation lets the factory produce its technologically complex vehicles in record time to meet high demand. Considering how the Tesla Cybertruck sold more than 250,000 preorders in its first month, that speed is essential.
Faster production times also let automakers roll out new models in less time. As a result, they can produce innovative, cutting-edge designs and get them in drivers’ hands while the idea is still new and exciting.