Recent reports reveal that a Chinese Internet search company known as Baidu is developing a bicycle that will ride itself. The technology could be game changer in Asia—China, for instance, has 551 million bike riders.
"Google’s driverless cars might be the talk of the town in the west, but Chinese search giant Baidu just flabbergasted Asia with its recently revealed development of unmanned autonomous bicycles," according to Paul Bischoff, who shares news reported on the Chinese language site TechWeb (Google translate is not exactly doing its finest work on that site, so beware).
"Details are sparse, and Baidu hasn’t officially confirmed the bike’s development so far. In theory, rider-less bikes should undergo less scrutiny than driver-less cars when it comes to road safety and legalities."
While we wait for the details of how the driverless bikes bike, er ride, er work, we're probably going to have to develop new verbs if this product indeed does come to market.
FULL STORY: Baidu is secretly developing unmanned self-driving bicycles for China: report
Is Infrastructure Ready for Autonomous Vehicles?
Assessing the readiness of current infrastructure for autonomous vehicles to understand the challenges and necessary adaptations for seamless integration in urban environments.
How Autonomous Cars Can Induce Sprawl and Sabotage Climate Goals
Robotaxis can lead to longer, more frequent trips and are projected to increase VMT by as much as 83 percent.
NHTSA Cuts Could Make Roads More Dangerous
The agency is losing almost half of the team that oversees autonomous vehicle safety, among dozens of other key personnel.
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.
San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.
Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.
Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland