Self-driving "Roboats" ready for testing on Amsterdam's canals

Researchers trial autonomous boats on Amsterdam's waterways in the Netherlands October 27, 2021. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Visitors to Amsterdam may soon spot a self-driving watercraft the size of a small car cruising silently through its ancient canals, ferrying passengers or transporting goods or trash.

It will be the electric-powered "Roboat", a catchier name than "autonomous floating vehicle" for a project shortly due to start test journeys aimed at improving the crowded city's transport options.