Hyundai debuts an Ioniq 5 Robotaxi for Las Vegas in 2023

Hyundai, the South Korean brand, has just announced a new service at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Automakers from around the world gathered at this year’s CES to showcase their all-new models and other advancements in automotive technology. 

This year, Hyundai decided to feature its Ioniq 5 Robotaxi, which the brand plans to have operational in Las Vegas in late 2023, or by the third quarter of this year. With complex rush hour patterns and with cars coming in all different shapes and sizes, the Ioniq 5 Robotaxi will be presented with the rather difficult challenge of ferrying passengers around the entertainment capital of the world. 

Ioniq 5 Robotaxis will find themselves jockeying for limited space, maneuvering between standard and oddly-shaped cars from time to time just to get to their destination. Hitting other cars and hitting obstacles is a big no-no for these vehicles as well, and sensing pedestrians is another thing entirely. 

Think about it this way, your average car in your average city will have more or less standard lengths. The AI system in a self-driving car will be able to detect and go around a vehicle that is of standard length, but this is Vegas, where cars can stretch several meters long which is the case for stretch limos big touring busses, and more. On top of that, the pedestrians in Vegas will more often than not be wearing flamboyant articles, headpieces, long flowing dresses, or anything that can be dreamed up. The challenge here is that the Hyundai Ioniq’s system has to recognize, detect, and avoid these obstacles, no matter how tall, long, or how fabulous they might be. 

Hyundai states that the Ioniq 5 Robotaxis will have level 4 autonomous functionality, which means that the vehicle will be able to drive itself. There will still be physical controls that a motorist can operate, but the car carries more than 30 sensors all around its body in order to “see” everything around it. The information then goes to a processor which has enough computing power to gauge whether carrying on is safe or not. Uber will also be part of the project, being the platform designated for use by commuters who wish to avail of the service.