First look: Inside Dubai’s driverless Robotaxi – tech, comfort, thrills

I never thought I’d get goosebumps from a taxi ride in Jumeirah, but there I was, sinking into a plush seat of Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6, a fully autonomous Robotaxi, feeling like I’d just stepped into the future.
As a Gulf News journalist, I was among the very first to experience its pilot phase during the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, cruising through the city’s iconic neighbourhood on a six-kilometre test drive. And trust me, this wasn’t just any ride.

Getting in felt like unlocking a secret level in a video game. The door doesn’t open with a handle – it requires a number password (most likely it will be the last four digits of your phone number). Punch in the digits, and the door slides open automatically. Settle inside, press the button next to the seat, and the door closes with a quiet, precise click. It immediately makes you feel like you’re in a spaceship rather than a taxi as if the Robotaxi is saying: “Welcome aboard, human.” To be honest, I half-expected a little sci-fi themed Chinese music to start playing.

Once inside, the cabin is spacious and astonishingly comfortable. The seats are fully adjustable, with backrest and heating controls. And then I noticed the massage function on the screen – not one but three different modes: Wave, Butterfly, and Catwalk. I tried each mode one by one, and suddenly my tense shoulders were melting into the seat. I could practically feel the car whispering: “Relax, you’re in safe hands.”

Then came the thrill: the steering wheel spun on its own. Butterflies literally erupted in my stomach, and I couldn’t contain my excitement. The Robotaxi changed lanes smoothly, handled the U-turn flawlessly, sensors scanning, cameras analysing every inch of the road. My pulse quickened when it overtook a van, but the manoeuvre was effortless. And zebra crossings? It stopped perfectly. No sudden jerks, no hesitation – just smooth, confident driving.

Being a pilot phase, there was a safety officer on board, quietly monitoring the journey. After a few minutes of chatting and firing questions at him, he gauged my nervous anticipation and said: “Just enjoy the ride. There’s nothing to fear.”

And he was right. Slowly, I sank into the seat and closed my eyes for a moment. The massage was still running, and for the first time, I truly let myself enjoy it while exploring the other features on the digital screen and checking out the cup holder as well. It will also feature AI-powered voice assistance.

Despite the futuristic tech all around, I quickly felt surprisingly at ease. The RT6 – the world’s first purpose-built model for Level 4 autonomous driving – is a marvel of engineering packed with technology. High-frame-rate vision and LiDAR ensure it responds instantly, even in tricky conditions. Cameras and sensors track everything – lanes, pedestrians, other vehicles. Safety is clearly a top priority, with redundancies and smart algorithms ensuring every curve, stop, and acceleration is meticulously calculated.

By the time we completed the ride, I was taking selfies and grinning like a kid who had just discovered magic. Dubai’s roads had never felt this exciting, this safe, or this full of possibility. And this is just the pilot phase. By the first quarter of next year, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) expects Robotaxis to be available to the public. RTA and Baidu’s Apollo Go have signed an agreement to deploy 1,000 autonomous vehicles in Dubai, with around 50 currently in trial runs. Stepping out of the RT6, one thought lingered in my mind: I had just ridden in the future and it felt amazing.