Uber to launch self-driving cars in Pittsburgh This Month — You can take a ride for absolutely free!
What comes to mind when people talk about self-driving or driverless cars? Google? Tesla? or Hacking them? That’s great but how about Uber for a change? Yes, Uber is working on driverless cars that will take over the roads in PA city in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
It’s great news as far as technology is concerned but very bad news for Uber drivers because robots will be taking over their jobs as Uber’s CEO Travis Kalanick told Bloomberg that “the goal is to replace Uber’s more than 1 million human drivers with robot drivers—as quickly as possible.”
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The fleet will hit the road with modified Volvo XC90’s with self-driving equipment but for the time being, the vehicle will be monitored by a (human) technician ready to take over the driving seat in case something goes wrong, remember it’s just an initial stage.
The vehicles are also kitted with a tablet computer in the back to navigate and map the free journey. Yes, during its starting phase Uber has decided not to charge travellers for their trip so if you live in Pittsburgh it’s time to book free Uber trip in the stunning Volvo XC90 masterpiece.
Will you travel in a driverless Uber?
Self-driving technology is undoubtedly mind-boggling idea, Google and Tesla might be the biggest names chasing self-driving cars, but a host of auto brands and other tech heavyweights are also investing heavily in driverless R&D. However, in July a Tesla driver was killed in a crash with autopilot active while Google self-driving car was caught on video colliding with a bus yet since the self-drive cars hit the road back in 2012 the numbers of accidents is far lower than those caused by human drivers.
Related: UK Experimenting with Roads that Wirelessly Charge Electric Vehicles
So get ready for some free rides if you are in Pittsburgh!
Bloomberg
