Once the self-driving Uber ( i.e a Ford Fusion) arrives at your doorstep, you’ll be asked to take a spot in the backseat of the auto.
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And starting Wednesday, Uber will debut its efforts to the public by allowing select passengers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to hail a ride in one of its self-driving cars.
As part of a pilot program, select customers can take a ride in Uber’s self-driving vehicle starting Wednesday morning. For now, a Uber employee stays behind the steering wheel to intercede if the car’s self-driving system makes a mistake. “Otherwise it’s uberX as usual”, Uber said in a statement. Uber will send emails to its most “loyal” customers early Wednesday morning.
“This Pittsburgh pilot is our opportunity for real-world testing, so we can learn more about what makes riders feel comfortable and safe, and can continue to improve the Uber self-driving experience”, said Emily Bartel, product manager at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center. “This technology needs to be ultra-reliable before we can take the human out of the driving equation”.
The company said self-driving Ubers “have enormous potential to further our mission and improve society” – this will be achieved by reducing traffic accidents, freeing up the “20 per cent of space in cities now used to park the world’s billion plus cars”, and cutting congestion. “If we can really tackle Pittsburgh, then we have a better chance of tackling most other cities around the world”.
Even when these technology issues get fixed, we believe ridesharing will be a mix-with services provided by both drivers and Self-Driving Ubers.
Besides road conditions, Uber must also tackle people’s fears about self-driving technology.
You’ll be accompanied with a couple safety driver in the front seat because the self-driving tech isn’t flawless and requires human intervention in many conditions, including bad weather or lane change.
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“I’d probably give them a little bit and let them work their kinks out”, Patrick Holland, a Philadelphia-area student, said right before getting into a human-driven Uber.
