Amazon’s Zoox will test its autonomous driving technology in Seattle’s ‘different driving culture’

A Zoox test vehicle drives past Pike Place Market in Seattle. (Zoox photo)

Zoox, the robot taxi company acquired by Amazon last year, will begin testing its autonomous driving technology in Seattle this month after focusing on Las Vegas and the Bay Area for the past four years.

The company also plans to open an office in the Seattle area in 2022, according to a post from Zoox announcing the expansion on Monday morning.

“The test in a new city gives our vehicle and our AI the chance to experience new challenges, including different weather conditions and infrastructures, different regulations and a different driving culture,” the company said in the post. “These challenges will help us iterate our hardware and software and ultimately expand Zoox’s capabilities.”

This euphemism about the “different driving culture” will make anyone who has driven in Seattle laugh. Forget the Turing test. Can AI learn our unique combination of passive-aggressive politeness and outrage on the street?

“We look forward to testing in Seattle,” said Jesse Levinson, CTO and co-founder of the company, in a statement. “The data we collect will be invaluable in advancing and generalizing our AI stack.”

Zoox unveiled its purpose-built electric robotic taxi last year, but these vehicles won’t be involved in those tests, and the company won’t be offering its autonomous ride-hailing service to the public here yet, a spokesman confirmed. The mission includes the specially equipped L3 Toyota Highlander from Zoox, which correspond to the sensor architecture of his specially built Robotaxi.

On board each Highlander there will be a “safety driver” who can take over if the autonomous technology needs assistance.

Amazon acquired Zoox last year for a reported purchase price of more than $ 1 billion, part of the company’s larger foray into robotics, automation, and electric vehicles.

Zoox says it is focusing on its robotaxi service for the time being. Zoox CEO Aicha Evans: but confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg TV last year that his technology could one day apply to parcel delivery:

“First we will move the people. There is demand. That is the greatest benefit for society, the cities and everyone involved, including the customers, ”said Evans at the time. “But yes, I admit that if we can move people, especially those with this footprint, at some point we could move packages.”

Zoox is not giving any further details about his plans for an office near Seattle, so it is not yet clear exactly where it will be or how big it will be. In total, Zoox currently employs more than 1,300 people and plans to add 450 positions this year.