SberAutoTech has started testing drones in the passenger transportation service mode. The fleet of self-driving cars has been on the roads of Moscow and the Moscow region since December 2020. Cars are being tested in conditions of dense urban traffic, taking into account various weather conditions and time of day. In the spring of 2022, the company started the next stage — testing the unmanned passenger transportation service.
Drones ply between the engineering center SberAutoTech and the MCC — ZIL station. Cars move completely offline, carry out maneuvers taking into account the traffic situation, recognize traffic lights and road signs, let pedestrians pass, move in strict accordance with traffic rules.
In accordance with the current legislation, a test engineer is in the driver's seat in the cabin, however, unlike a regular taxi, his interaction with users is minimized: control of readiness for the trip, the status of passenger seat belts, information about the environment of the drone and the status of the trip - everything is included in the interface of the "passenger tablet", which is placed in the car.
The order of the drone is carried out through a special application for a smartphone and a smart display SberPortal.
The launch of the service allows you to test user scenarios and make sure that the interaction of the passenger with the drone will be simple and intuitive. The experience gained during testing will allow you to quickly expand the geography of routes, including for external users.
Last fall, the company SberAutoTech launched a similar service on the territory of Sberbank University. Employees and guests of Sberbank University can use the drone to move around the campus. You can also call an unmanned vehicle at this location through the SberPortal smart display application: the devices are installed at key facilities between which SBERBANK University visitors most often move.