Image: Uber
Uber has finally revealed its first foray into self-driving cars. Their new ride, a custom hybrid Ford Fusion with “radars, laser scanners, and high resolution cameras,” is collecting mapping data and testing its new self-driving capabilities in Pittsburgh.
The company’s still in the early stages of its self-driving car technology, so a trained driver is behind the wheel at all times, preventing any self-driving accidents to occur. Uber is currently focused on testing the safety of its self-driving cars among pedestrians and other cars, according to a blog post.
Uber explains why they chose to test in Pittsburgh:
Uber chose the Steel City as the home of our Advanced Technologies Center because of its world-class engineering talent and research facilities. Pittsburgh is an ideal environment to develop and test our technology across a wide variety of road types, traffic patterns and weather conditions. The city’s long history of innovation continues today as it helps us shape the future of transportation.
Uber has been testing their car for several weeks now, but recently gave Tribune-Review’s Aaron Aupperlee a ride in the car on driverless mode. This is the first time Uber has let a member of the media do so.
Aupperlee explains the driverless Uber in a report:
The car drove itself over the 31st Street Bridge and along River Avenue on the North Side before turning around at the Heinz Lofts. The car will accelerate, brake, steer and perform other basic functions on its own. It switches out of self-driving mode with a loud beep if its sensors detect a car swerving into its lane or it encounters something it does not recognize or know how to negotiate. The driver can take control of the car at anytime.
Uber is one of many companies pushing for self-driving technology to enter our roads. Google, Lyft, and others have made notable developments in the technology over the past year, but John Bares, head of Uber ATC (advancement technology center), explains that the model shown today is still at an early stage. Expect your next Uber to still have a human inside because it could be a while before it doesn’t.
Source: Uber Via: Tribune-Review
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