Dubai is set to host a World Congress for Self-Driving Transport in October 2019, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority announced on Tuesday.
The first of its kind event in the Middle East will be held in partnership with Khalifa City and the NewCities foundation. The event is aimed at increasing public awareness of self-driving transport technologies and identifying the impacts technology might have on investments and transport strategies.
Mattar Al Tayer, the Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA commented on the upcoming event stating: “The Congress will be a global platform for self-driving transport, bringing together prominent experts, specialists, policymakers, technology manufacturers, researchers, and academia.”
Not only that, but the event will also include a “Dubai World Challenge for Self-Driving Transport”, with prizes in excess $5 million. According to Al Tayer, cash prizes of $3 million will be allocated for the leading companies category, while $1.5 million will be allocated for startups, and $600,000 for universities and academia.
“The challenge is a global competition aimed at broadening the use of Self-driving Transport at all levels,” said Al Tayer. He states that this competition encourages leading companies in the field of transport to cope with the existing challenges such as traffic congestions, low public transport ridership, and the first and last-mile challenge, to ensure the traveling of riders to their final destination.
Wondering what’s the process like for the competition? Well, the participants will be pre-qualified on a number of factors, including credibility, future vision, skills, and relevant expertise. After that, they will be assessed in categories such as technical ability and experience, business dimensions, and operation and service.
Additionally, the designs of participants will also undergo a number of tests related to durability and reliability, ability to drive under realistic traffic conditions, power efficiency, safety, and user’s experiences. A team of specialist international experts will then be assessing and judging the participants.
John Rossant, the chairman of NewCities Foundation and Direction of the LA CoMotion Conference said: “The Dubai World Challenge for self-driving transportation offers a unique opportunity to showcase the pioneering innovations and solutions stemming from Dubai and the United Arab Emirates to promote their vision and policies for transportation of tomorrow.”
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