Drive Test
Back in August, the Zoox robotaxi was not yet open to the public. It was only available to family members of Zoox employees. I was lucky because my cousin works there, so I had the chance to test the ride. The service operates within a 2-mile radius. My cousin booked a ride through the Zoox app, and the car picked us up about 5–10 minutes later.
The experience really impressed me—especially because the vehicle has no steering wheel, unlike most self-driving cars today that still keep one for manual control. It truly felt futuristic. When we got in, the car required us to buckle our seat belts before it allowed us to hit the start button. The in-car infotainment system was also very good; we could choose any music to play while waiting to reach our destination. Our estimated travel time was about 10 minutes, and the ride was smooth and comfortable.
The car recognized traffic signs extremely well—it knew when to stop, turn, and yield to pedestrians using its multiple lidars and cameras. During the ride, the vehicle made a few unexpected stops and attempted to correct itself by rerouting. We reported the issue to the help desk using the built-in microphone and camera system, which made contacting support very convenient. Because the car had to fix its routing issues, the arrival time ended up being longer than expected.
Overall, it was a great experience despite a few bugs during the drive. I have high hopes that in the near future, we may not even need to own cars anymore. I’ve been following Zoox since 2020, and seeing how they transformed their early prototype into something close to a commercial product is incredible. It really shows the hard work and dedication of the Zoox team.
I also hope that one day I’ll have the opportunity to work or intern at Zoox. I would love to study, learn, and expand my knowledge and experience there, especially because I am passionate about automation and self-driving technology.
Demo
My first Zoox drive.