The new feature is included in the pre-release version of Google Maps and is expected to eventually be implemented in the final edition, according to Android Police.
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“In the future we believe this [self-driving technology] will mean less congestion, more affordable and accessible transportation, and far fewer lives lost in vehicle accidents”, said a statement from Uber.
The cars come from Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh, a program founded in February past year.
Uber is betting big on digital mapping, and it could be spending a lot of money to do it. The Financial Times reports that Uber is investing $500 million in its own efforts to reduce its reliance on Google Maps and other similar services.
“Accurate maps are at the heart of our service and the backbone of our business”, said McClendon, who in 2001 co-founded a company called Keyhole that was acquired by Google in 2004 and became the foundation for Google Earth. “The ongoing need for maps tailored to the Uber experience is why we’re doubling down on our investment in mapping”. He was hired by Uber in June 2015.
The support for multiple stops was pushed to users on Android in another recent update to Google Maps and now iPhone users can also benefit from using this helpful feature. For example, navigation could be helped by better information about local traffic patterns and exact locations for passenger pick-ups and drop-offs. Kwon Bom-jun, a Google Maps product manager and software engineer at Google Korea, will also partake in the discussion to express company’s point of view.
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The debate will focus on discussing the pros and cons of allowing Google to take the map data out of country, and its effects on national security and related industries. When you’ve found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info.
