Uber is an American internet company which since 2010 mediates between consumers and private drivers of cars. Via the Uber app consumers can submit a trip request on their mobile phone whereupon the Uber software sends a message to the nearest available Uber driver. Uber is currently active in 66 countries and has a revenue of 1.5 billion USD. The company has disrupted the taxi industry with its app, as one of the effects of Uber is increased competition for taxi drivers which resulted in plunging taxi medallion prices.
Uber is now experimenting with their next step: executing trips with driverless cars. The company has started a self-driving pilot program in Pittsburgh with selected app users. The self-driving cars are fitted with sensor cameras, radar, lasers and GPS receivers. For the next few months the driverless trips will be supervised by company technicians to make sure everything goes right and to monitor the car’s behavior. During test drives the car collects data of the surroundings and compares it with preexisting maps to identify for example pedestrians and cyclists. With the move of using self-driving cars for the general public, Uber is ahead of the rest of the car industry and companies like Google and Tesla. The goal is to replace Uber’s human driven cars by self-driving cars, as quickly as possible.
While Uber thinks the launch of the self-driving car program is a step forward in transportation, Uber drivers are not so sure. The drivers fear that in the future they will be entirely replaced by software and sensors, although they do not expect it would replace them soon. An spokesperson of Uber says he expects human drivers to remain part of the equation, even after Uber works out self-driving issues like dealing with bad weather. The company believes ride-sharing will be a mix between drivers and self-driving Ubers because of the limitations of software and the need to have drivers deal with unique consumer issues. It also states that the program will create additional jobs in maintenance as the cars will be on the road 24 hours per day.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uber_(company)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/09/14/watch-uber-launches-driverless-car-service/
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/uber-drivers-wont-accept-autonomous-cars-without-a-fight-2016-09-15
