For now, Uber says that each vehicle will have a safety driver in front to oversee the drive and intervene in unsafe weather or other unforeseen conditions. But that prospect didn’t sit well with some Uber customers. “You have somebody there, for instance if you have people from out of town, they get in the vehicle, they say, ‘Hey, can you suggest somewhere to eat, do you have recommendations for places to see, tourists spots, wherever?'” he said.
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Uber has become the first company to make self-driving cars publicly available in the United States through a test program in Pittsburgh.
Uber said Pittsburgh presents ideal testing conditions, since it is an old city with steep and narrow roads, hundreds of bridges and extreme weather conditions. A lot of work still needs to be done before self-driving cars can be let loose on the roads without supervision, and these tests are just one of the steps on that ladder.
Well, about 18 months ago, the company set up their Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburg, where they worked on these self-driving cars. “We think it can help with congestion”.
Other heavy investors in autonomous vehicles include Google parent Alphabet, China’s Baidu and electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors, as well as most major automobile manufacturers.
The company is now using Ford Fusion cars outfitted with a bulky array of sensors attached to the roof, and said it also plans to use Volvo SUVs.
So, if you happen to be in the Pittsburgh area, keep an eye out for these self-driving Uber cars prowling the streets. The vehicles would not have steering wheels or pedals. Driverless cars might be better drivers than some of the knuckleheads behind the wheel now.
Approaches to driverless technology differ.
The cars include a spinning Lidar unit. Others, like Mercedes-Benz, are adding autonomous features in phases, while relying on the driver to take over in certain circumstances. Well, starting this week, Uber is rolling out self-driving vehicles for public usage, providing the same experience as an UberX.
The company made a huge move Wednesday when it released its self-driving vehicle to the public for the first time. And it really drives home the fact that autonomous auto technology is in its infancy. The company said Tuesday that its six taxis – with backup drivers – haven’t had any accidents since the service launched.
The self-driving cars in Pittsburgh fit two riders as well as the safety monitor.
Currently, these locations include downtown Pittsburgh and the Shadyside neighborhood.
Uber officials hope the initial trial will teach them how to ease public fears of adopting the bleeding-edge technology.
“We really feel that Pittsburgh is the double black diamond of driving”, said Raffi Krikorian, director of Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center.
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This sparks the beginning of a long road for Uber.
