Vision of future is driverless (From The Oxford Times)

Vision of future is driverless

5:00pm Friday 27th January 2012 in News

THE latest development in green transport has been unveiled by a hi-tech Oxfordshire firm.

Cybergo has been designed as a people carrier and is so advanced that it does not need a driver.

Instead, the eight-seater vehicle has cameras, lasers and ultrasound technology that can spot and dodge all obstacles.

It cost £8m to develop, can move backwards, forwards and sideways and is powered by batteries developed by Culham firm Oxis Energy, where it was launched.

Oxis chief executive Huw Hampson-Jones said: “I hope Culham Science Park will be one of the first sites in the UK where the Cybergo will go into service.”

Dr Pierre Lefevre, chairman of French company Induct which developed the vehicle’s software, added: “We hope to sell the people carrier to airports, amusement parks, hospitals and industrial parks.”

And his vision includes future cities where anyone can call up a Cybergo using a mobile telephone key in their destination on a touch-screen map on board.