The BRICS summit will focus on innovation and its member Russia has been making strides in the tech world, from facial recognition software to autonomous vehicles.
CGTN’s Ross Cullen reports.
Accelerating into the world of automation, Russia is driving for a share of what’s being called the ‘robotaxi’ market.
Analysts think it could exceed $2 trillion by 2030. U.S. companies Uber and Google’s Waymo are the leaders in this sector. But Russia’s auto industry is also gearing up for a high-tech future.
“As we know, 94% of accidents happen due to human error,” said Artem Fokin, Head of Business Development for Driverless Vehicles at Yandex. “What we’re trying to do is remove the human from the driving equation. So basically, we’re building the perfect driver who will not get tired, who will not get distracted, who will not be in the wrong condition to drive and who obviously is focused on one thing only, that’s driving safely from one point to another.”
Yandex heads the field in Russia when it comes to driverless cars. The company hopes to bring the technology to its taxi service.
They plan to offer a driverless cab service at the Detroit motor show next summer.
Safety is the key issue to convince the public because one accident can change perceptions in an instant. Yandex has clocked up more than a million kilometers of trials so far – showing how rigorously they’re testing these vehicles. In this case, a hands-off approach is just what the tech firms are looking for.
Robotic delivery systems are being tested, plus facial recognition software are being developed. Tech firm Promobot has launched the mass production of advanced robots that look like humans.
Russia is keen to show how far it’s come with tech, especially in the transport sector. But there are concerns tech advancements may lead to job losses.
Innovation has been a buzzword for the BRICS representatives at the last two gatherings.
China is clearly the leader when it comes to tech development. But Russia will be hoping to show that it’s not stuck in reverse and can innovate as well moving forward in robotics, the digital sphere卆nd autonomous vehicles.
