Please Fence Me In

Limiting operational domains to speed AV adoption.

Vehicle and system developers have always pushed to get the most from every component and material. But design teams focused on autonomous vehicles are increasingly adopting a less-is-more strategy. Limiting operational domains for driverless vehicles may help get cars and vans on the road more quickly.

Limiting vehicles to fixed routes can dramatically reduce the complexity of driving without humans, making shuttles and commercial vehicles some of the areas that will be first to totally eliminate drivers. For robotaxis, geofences that limit taxis to specified urban areas serve a similar purpose.