The Routing Company Partners with Zoox for Robotaxi Service
When James Cox, the former leader of Uber’s UberPool, left the company in 2019, Uber had shifted its focus away from autonomous vehicle development. Cox saw an opportunity to apply UberPool’s technology to robotaxis, leading him to establish The Routing Company.
For the past five years, The Routing Company has been assisting transit agencies in efficiently matching riders with vehicles across multiple states and countries, facilitating over 3 million trips. Recently, The Routing Company made a significant move by partnering with Zoox, an Amazon-owned robotaxi company.
Zoox has acquired a non-exclusive license for The Routing Company’s technology and has onboarded five engineers from the startup to enhance the efficiency and scalability of its robotaxi service. Cox will serve as a senior advisor to Zoox’s chief product officer while continuing as the CEO of The Routing Company.
This collaboration exemplifies how robotaxi companies are seeking external expertise to optimize their operations. By leveraging The Routing Company’s technology, Zoox aims to expand its services and introduce a paid public ride program in Las Vegas later this year.
Enhancing Route Optimization for Robotaxis
Cox believes that superior route optimization software is crucial for the success of a large-scale robotaxi network. He views this technology as a fundamental yet underappreciated component of both autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing services. The complexity of real-time route optimization is akin to playing chess in multiple dimensions with constantly changing variables, making it a challenging but essential aspect of the industry.
As The Routing Company integrates its technology with Zoox, both entities anticipate accelerated growth and advancements in the robotaxi sector. By combining expertise and resources, they aim to deliver innovative solutions and expand their reach in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle market.