While we are on the topic of self-driving cars, it seems that Uber is going to have one of their own on the roads in Pittsburgh that you can be on the lookout for. While autonomous vehicles are actually safer than us human beings, that doesn’t change the fact that I’d rather not have Uber making its way into this industry. All things considered, I think I trust Google and its technologies a whole lot more than anything produced by Uber. If it works out, though, it could eventually drive the cost of Uber so low that it becomes preferable to people actually ever using (or owning) their own cars.
Uber’s foray into the world of self-driving vehicles will become a lot more visible in the coming weeks after the company confirmed its first autonomous car will officially hit the streets of Pittsburgh. The prototype — a hybrid Ford Fusion — will assist the company in collecting mapping data while putting its self-driving capabilities to the test.
Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center (ATC), which is headquartered in the city, has equipped the car with a variety of sensors including radar, laser scanner and high-resolution cameras, but a human rider will be present at all times.
While this isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Uber’s prototype — it was spotted cruising the city’s streets by the Pittsburgh Business Times last year — it is the first time the company has publicly shared news of its plans.
