Robo Ride/Car sharing

Most of the discussion as taking the technical development point of view. This discussion also needs to look from the consumer point-of-view. I'm a lay person, but have been fascinated with the idea of self-driving personal transportation. Personal Transportation will become a service that the consumer will subscribe to. The fees will be based on quality of service, distance and time of travel. What the subscriber won't have to pay for is significant: auto loan, registration, insurance, maintenance or fuel. Also the user won't need to have a driver's license.

Driverless transportation will also have a big impact on law enforcement and the judicial system, as many traffic-related crimes will not happen. For example, driving under the influence, not having a valid driver's license or insurance will be moot. Cities can gain cost-savings by reducing police forces, and the judicial system, which would include judges, prosecutors, jails, etc.

When discussing potential markets to be served by robocars, other groups of people to include, along with children, are: people who lost their driver's license, and the elderly who want to be independent.

One last thought. The future robocar doesn't have to be modeled on today's typical automobile. They only have to be large enough for a single passenger. A robocar can be small and lightweight. The transportation system doesn't have to be ground-based like today's road system. The future transportation system can be segregated so that passenger, cargo, utility, and emergency transport can be run on separate systems. These systems can be elevated in tiers. The utility system (garbage collection, deliveries) can be underground. Passenger systems can be elevated, leaving ground level for pedestrians.