On Thursday, Chinese tech giant Baidu unveiled a futuristic autonomous vehicle called the Apollo RT6 that can completely do away with a human driver and standard driving controls. Equipped with Baidu’s most advanced self-driving technology, the car features a flat floor and a detachable steering wheel, which the company boasts will create “more space to craft unique interiors, allowing for the installation of extra seating, vending machines, desktops, or gaming consoles.” Manufacturing costs have been slashed by nearly half to RMB 250,000 (around $37,000) compared to the previous generation of robotaxis. The company plans to deploy the vehicles at scale on its autonomous ride-hailing service in China next year. [Baidu release]