WORLDKINGS TIMES

Friday, May 17, 2024
Home Hot news Russia's Sberbank unit unveils self-driving vehicle FLIP

Russia’s Sberbank unit unveils self-driving vehicle FLIP

(Worldmark.world) SberAutoTech, a subsidiary of Russia's largest lender Sberbank (SBER.MM), has developed a fully self-driving vehicle, FLIP, which the company on Thursday described as a "taxi of the future".

Sberbank is diversifying in areas ranging from food delivery and taxi services to cloud computing and cybersecurity and has made technological strides, last year unveiling a new virtual assistant, smart speaker and other gadgets.

FLIP is the size of a conventional passenger car but with space for six passengers, SberAutoTech said.

It has met the maximum requirement of international automated driving standards, but so far has only been tested on closed tracks.

SberAutoTech did not disclose how much it had invested in the project or any details about prices, suppliers or its expected production timeline.

Replaceable batteries power the vehicle’s electric motor, but it can also harness the power of alternative fuels like natural gas and hydrogen, SberAutoTech said.

“The company’s know-how is the battery layout, which allows for all modules to be replaced in no more than five minutes, comparable to refilling a standard car with traditional fuel,” the company said in a statement.

“The flexible architecture of SberAutoTech’s self-driving technology will enable us to roll out solutions across a variety of verticals, like freight transport, last mile, and taxis,” said Sberbank Chief Technology Officer David Rafalovksy.

The curved design, with no obvious front or rear, resembles the flying vehicles from the 1985 Soviet TV series ‘Guest from the Future’, which were also called ‘Flip’. SberAutoTech did not say whether the film had inspired the design.

Russian market leader Yandex (YNDX.O) has already tested thousands of driverless hours in Russian cities and abroad, while its driverless robot buggies have started delivering restaurant meals in Moscow.

According to reuters.com

- Advertisment -

Most Popular

Top spectacular natural landmarks of the world (P.487) Látrabjarg: The birdworld in the westernmost tip of Iceland

The cliffs of Látrabjarg are some of the highest in Europe, reaching heights of up to 440 meters. They extend approximately 14 kilometers along...

Furlani jumped world U20 record

European U18 and U20 champion Mattia Furlani eclipsed the world U20 long jump record by one centimeter with a second-round lead of 8.36m. The Italian...

Greatest roads in the world (P.174) N16: Road trip on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast

As voyagers set forth on the odyssey along N16, the grandeur of the Mediterranean Sea unfurls, presenting awe-inspiring panoramas of cerulean waters melding into...

Japan to develop world’s first wood pellets-powered ship

Japanese transportation firms NYK Line (NYK), NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers (NBP), and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding have teamed up with British renewable energy business Drax...