Meet Gacha, World’s First All-Weather Self-Driving Bus From Finland, And Also The Cutest

Autonomous vehicles have come a long way since the idea of self-driving cars, but they’re still a bit restrictive. They can’t drive beyond well paved roads, optimal weather conditions and visible road signs.

Not anymore though, as an autonomous vehicle has been produced in Finland which, as per its maker’s claim, can go anywhere on its own.

Gacha, an all-weather autonomous bus, built by Finnish vehicle manufacturer Sensible 4, claims to be the first vehicle of its kind, capable of traversing both city streets as well as unmarked suburban roads. Gacha (Image: Muji) Also read: Linkin Park And Mercedes-AMG Collaborate As Auto Makers Work To Produce Engine Sounds For Electric Vehicles

What’s more, the self-driving minibus is able to navigate itself under all imaginable weather and lighting conditions. A testimony to this is the vehicle’s current operating location – Espoo, which saw snowfall on 43 days in January and February. Linkin Park And Mercedes-AMG Collaborate As Auto Makers Work To Produce Engine Sounds For… 159 SHARES

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The shape of the rather cute toy car looking Gacha comes from the Japanese design house of Muji. As for its purpose, the minibus is aimed to cater to locations with extreme climate conditions. For this, the Gacha can either follow a pre-planned route just like any other autonomous vehicle, or in a very unorthodox manner, can change its routes as per the requirement.

These changes can come in the form of user requests. The autonomous bus can re-plan its routes to accommodate a new user request on the way. It will even send a notification to the user about its arrival. Gacha (Image: Muji) Also read: “Would Love To Be [In India] This Year” Elon Musk Tweets About Tesla

Practically, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities for autonomous vehicles. Just as the Gacha is serving its purpose in the extreme temperatures, a fleet of such vehicles can easily cater to even the largest of cities in extreme territories. Individually, they can be used to power commute amidst remotest of areas, requiring no on-ground human input whatsoever.

After its initial test in Espoo is a success, the Gacha will be rolled out Vanya, Hämeenlinna, Vantaa and Helsinki later this year.

Source: Meet Gacha, World’s First All-Weather Self-Driving Bus From Finland, And Also The Cutest