Argo AI has launched driverless car operations in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida, "on public streets in busy neighbourhoods during daylight hours".
The Pittsburgh-based autonomous vehicle (AV) technology company says it has spent five years developing and testing the Argo Autonomy Platform - the hardware, software, HD maps and back-end support that powers its AV capabilities.
Argo president and co-founder Dr. Peter Rander said the move suggests that scaled deployment of ride-share and last-mile deliveries is on the cards: “We can go to multiple cities, where consumer demand for autonomous services is high, and drive naturally and safely in the heart of these areas.”
Last year, in partnership with Ford, Argo began offering paid AV rides in Miami on the Lyft ride-sharing network, and recently piloted delivering goods to Walmart customers in Miami and Austin.
Argo says its coverage in Austin, Miami and Washington, DC, has the potential to reach more than two million people and thousands of businesses with autonomous ride-sharing and delivery services.
The Argo Autonomy Platform has been tested in eight cities worldwide.
"It’s the culmination of all the work over the last five years to get to the point to be operating on public roads driverlessly, and go through all the testing to do that safely,” said Argo chief technology officer Dr. Brett Browning.
“It’s also really just the beginning," he concluded. "Now we grow from here.”
