Taxis where there isn't a human driver are starting to make their way onto the streets. On February 13th, Zoox launched the world's first robotaxi on public roads in Foster City California.  

You might be wondering:

- How safe are these cars?

Anything that is new usually sparks some fear, especially when we feel like we're losing control. That's why I interviewed an engineer at Zoox to explain how Zoox cars work. Olivier is a Principal Software Engineer at Zoox on the Planning and Control team where he helps build the infrastructure that allows Zoox's robotaxis to drive autonomously. He has been supporting the development of autonomous vehicles at Zoox for the past 8 years. Previously, Olivier was a supervisor at NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) where he worked on technologies to enhance the autonomy of unmanned vehicles, such as the Mars exploration rovers. Olivier holds a M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and a M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from SUPAERO (France).