Page 10 - Newsletter_February_2026

10. Newsletter & Club Website

The newsletter had been well received by members
11. Recruitment & Retention.

Membership has shown a small decline over the year. Members were asked to try and recruit new members
when the opportunity arises.

12. Feedback on the Previous Year’s Programme & Future Topics
The committee were mindful of the topics and membership requirements. However, without members in-
put, it is difficult to maintain a good and interesting programme. The committee re-iterated their plea for
topics – even repeats of previous presentations.
12. Any Other Business

None
Meeting closed at 8.25 pm.

Driverless Taxis Could Be Coming to London Sooner Than We Think

This article was put together after hearing about this story on the The Gadget Show podcast, where it was
discussed by presenter Suzi Perry.
One of the most interesting technology stories to catch our attention recently is the progress being made
by Waymo, the American driverless car company. They are hoping to bring their robo-taxi service to Lon-
don as early as September this year.
Although the UK government plans to update regulations in the second half of 2026 to properly allow driv-
erless taxis on public roads, Waymo isn’t waiting around. A pilot scheme is due to launch in April, and the
company has already shipped a fleet of vehicles to the UK. These were recently displayed at the London
Transport Museum.
At the moment, the cars are being driven around London with a safety driver at the wheel. Their job is to
help map the streets and train the system — rather like learning “The Knowledge” that black cab drivers
must master. However, once the service opens to paying passengers, there will be no human driver at all.

⚙️ How Do the Cars Work?

Each vehicle relies on four main types of sensors:
• LiDAR
• Cameras
• Radar
• Microphones
Together, these give the car a full 360-degree view of its surroundings, allowing it to “see” up to three foot-
ball fields ahead, even in poor weather. All of this information is processed by a powerful computer in the
boot, which constantly decides how the car should drive and react in real time.

What About the Cost?

Waymo says its prices will be competitive, but likely on the premium side. Fares may also rise during busy
periods, similar to the surge pricing used by many ride-hailing apps.

A Real-World Test

On the podcast, Suzi Perry shared her own experience of using a robo-taxi in Austin, Texas last year. She
admitted she was nervous at first — especially as she enjoys driving — but decided to sit in the front seat