4 ms·

Is "robotaxis" the word we're going with here? Because that sounds more like it ought to be the name for a subfield of robotics relating to optimizing the physi

Is "robotaxis" the word we're going with here? Because that sounds more like it ought to be the name for a subfield of robotics relating to optimizing the physical arrangement or orientation of robots...

slowwriter 4y ago
I was confused about "robot-axis" for a solid two minutes before I realized the article is about "robo-taxis".
z500 4y ago
My first thought was plants slowly moving towards robots.
kragen 4y ago
Brad's been calling them both "robocars" and "robotaxis" since 02009: https://ideas.4brad.com/robocars-bringing-you-flying-cars https://ideas.4brad.com/robocars-bringing-you-flying-cars
xnx 4y ago
I wish we could adopt "autos" as the term. You would think that something called an automobile would be able to drive itself.
- jameshart 4y ago
  You can even buy an automatic automobile, and it still needs someone to drive it. We should sue for false advertising.
  - schoen 4y ago
    But soon you may be able to get an automated automatic automobile, and maybe not need someone to drive it anymore! Well, OK, depending on the self-driving level...
  - choxi 4y ago
    You can even get a full self driving autopilot automatic automobile and still need someone to drive it
- rippercushions 4y ago
  In India an "auto" is a three-wheeler autorickshaw, commonly known in English by its Thai name tuktuk. The "auto" here means it's motorized, as opposed to the original human-powered vehicles, this being the literal meaning of the Japanese jinrikisha (人力車).
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  They are just auto autos, or auto^2.
SeanLuke 4y ago
Chemotaxis is the behavior of a small organism to follow a chemical gradient to find a higher concentration. Likewise, thermotaxis follows temperature. It took me several rereads to realize that robotaxis wasn't some kind of behavior that followed a "robot gradient".
- schoen 4y ago
  Both ultimately from Greek τάξις, although not very closely connected in meaning at all! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxis By contrast, "Thurn and Taxis" is apparently "from the Italian word for 'badger'" (!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurn_und_Taxis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurn_und_Taxis
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    Not to be confused with Taxidermy, the art of stuffing vehicles in lifelike poses.
    - literalAardvark 4y ago
      Or dermitaxis, the art of aligning oneself according to the skin color gradient.
  - jaclaz 4y ago
    As a curiosity, only for Italians or foreigners that are at an advanced level in learning Italian: http://www.scudit.net/mdtasso.htm http://www.scudit.net/mdtasso.htm >fu difficile stabilire il tasso da pagare; cioè il tasso del tasso del tasso del Tasso e il tasso del tasso del tasso barbasso del Tasso.

slowwriter 4y ago

I was confused about "robot-axis" for a solid two minutes before I realized the article is about "robo-taxis".

z500 4y ago

My first thought was plants slowly moving towards robots.

kragen 4y ago

Brad's been calling them both "robocars" and "robotaxis" since 02009: https://ideas.4brad.com/robocars-bringing-you-flying-cars https://ideas.4brad.com/robocars-bringing-you-flying-cars

xnx 4y ago

I wish we could adopt "autos" as the term. You would think that something called an automobile would be able to drive itself.

jameshart 4y ago
You can even buy an automatic automobile, and it still needs someone to drive it. We should sue for false advertising.
- schoen 4y ago
  But soon you may be able to get an automated automatic automobile, and maybe not need someone to drive it anymore! Well, OK, depending on the self-driving level...
- choxi 4y ago
  You can even get a full self driving autopilot automatic automobile and still need someone to drive it
rippercushions 4y ago
In India an "auto" is a three-wheeler autorickshaw, commonly known in English by its Thai name tuktuk. The "auto" here means it's motorized, as opposed to the original human-powered vehicles, this being the literal meaning of the Japanese jinrikisha (人力車).
seanmcdirmid 4y ago
They are just auto autos, or auto^2.

SeanLuke 4y ago

Chemotaxis is the behavior of a small organism to follow a chemical gradient to find a higher concentration. Likewise, thermotaxis follows temperature. It took me several rereads to realize that robotaxis wasn't some kind of behavior that followed a "robot gradient".

schoen 4y ago
Both ultimately from Greek τάξις, although not very closely connected in meaning at all! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxis By contrast, "Thurn and Taxis" is apparently "from the Italian word for 'badger'" (!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurn_und_Taxis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurn_und_Taxis
- jacquesm 4y ago
  Not to be confused with Taxidermy, the art of stuffing vehicles in lifelike poses.
  - literalAardvark 4y ago
    Or dermitaxis, the art of aligning oneself according to the skin color gradient.
- jaclaz 4y ago
  As a curiosity, only for Italians or foreigners that are at an advanced level in learning Italian: http://www.scudit.net/mdtasso.htm http://www.scudit.net/mdtasso.htm >fu difficile stabilire il tasso da pagare; cioè il tasso del tasso del tasso del Tasso e il tasso del tasso del tasso barbasso del Tasso.