OBSERVATION: Hong Kong’s worsening traffic congestion and pollution are in dire need of alternative “smart city” non-polluting transportation systems.
SOLUTION: Provide vast fleets of automated driverless 6-8 passenger electric vehicles that operate using an AI-powered “hive” technology to enable Hong Kong to become a world leader in public transportation.
Imagine pressing “home” or “office” on your smartphone, and within seconds a shared driverless electric-powered transportation pod arrives at your location, which takes you and a handful of other pre-selected passengers on the most efficient route to their respective destinations. The entire “hive” network could be centrally managed and directed by an artificial intelligence dispatch system that provides the most efficient transport path and mix of passengers and pods for millions of commuters simultaneously.
Each disabled-accessible pod could be compact enough to fit down the smallest of Hong Kong’s historic streets, equipped with rotating wheel bases to stop and maneuver sideways into small curbside spaces. While dedicated “pod lanes” could be provided in urban centers, these self-driving pods could also co-exist with traditional human-driven vehicles and other forms of public transportation across Hong Kong’s existing road network.
Does it make sense to retain the current polluting fleets of mini-buses recklessly piloted by sleep-deprived speed demons that race down the highways half empty?
Is this really science fiction? Or just around the corner? Amazon is already doing this in their warehousing operations. Can Hong Kong step up to this sci-fi challenge?