Uber is launching self-driving cars in San Francisco.
California will now have transportation vehicles that will pick you and take you to your destination without the driver needing to intervene. However, these vehicles will still have drivers just in case the car loses control or fails to properly monitor its surroundings.
The move is essentially designed to show people a piece of the future with autonomous driving technology. Uber first tested this concept in Pittsburgh, and the move proved to be a success that many enjoyed.
The cars that are involved in these self-driving trips will move slower than most real drivers due to the fact that this technology is still being ironed out and it isn’t as precise as the industry would like it to be–not yet anyways.
The Uber vehicles use LIDAR technology to propel the vehicle forward and determine what its surroundings are like. The tech is a laser-based system that examines if it will bump into a car, person, street sign or anything else, stopping when it detects something and advancing when the path is clear.
The move is part of recent advancements to improve self-driving technology as the original concept of autonomous driving included mapping technology. However, LIDAR is more precise and it ensures that there are no crashes.
California also has strict autonomous driving laws that will ensure your ride is successful.
