World's first self-driving taxis debut in Singapore

Select members of the public can hail a free ride through their smartphones in taxis operated by nuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software startup.

While multiple companies, including Google and Volvo, have been testing self-driving cars on public roads for several years, nuTonomy says is the first to offer rides to the public.

The ultimate goal, company executives say, is to have a fully self-driving taxi fleet in Singapore by 2018, to help cut the number of cars on Singapore's congested roads.

The cars — modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics — have a driver in front who is prepared to take back the wheel and a researcher in back who watches the car's computers.

NuTonomy, a 50-person company with offices in Massachusetts and Singapore, was formed in 2013 by Iagnemma and Emilio Frazzoli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers who were studying robotics and developing autonomous vehicles for the Defense Department.

An Associated Press reporter taking a ride Wednesday saw the safety driver step on the brakes once, when a car was obstructing the test car's lane and another vehicle, which had appeared to be parked, suddenly began moving in the oncoming lane.

The company hopes its head start in autonomous driving will eventually lead to partnerships with automakers, tech companies, logistics companies and others.