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Finally, Robot Conductors On Autonomous Buses
A robot conductor could be a friendly addition to a standard motorcoach, or even to an autonomous bus.
Riding in a self-driving vehicle can be unsettling when it feels like nobody is in charge. This robot conductor, newly installed in Nagoya University automated research vehicles, tells the passengers what the vehicle is 'thinking' - that it's slowing for a stop sign... https://t.co/NKEA11QrYc
— Nagoya University (@NagoyaUniv) October 8, 2024
Robert Silverberg mentions the idea of a robot conductor in his 1958 story The Woman You Wanted.
Philip K. Dick also describes this idea in Paycheck, a 1953 short story.
The robot conductor was coming toward him, whirring angrily."Sir -" the conductor began. The bus was slowing down. "Sir, it is not allowed - "
He reached into this pocket and brought out the bus token. He put it calmly into the conductor's coin slot... The conductor turned away, its whirrs subsiding.
(Read more about Philip K. Dick's robot conductor)
The oldest references to the idea of a autonomous or robot bus are from Tidal Moon, by Stanley G. and Helen Weinbaum, published by Thrilling Wonder Stories in 1938.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/1/2024)
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