Posted on 08/18/2016 11:05:37 AM PDT by Wolfie
Uber to deploy self-driving cars in Pittsburgh
The ride-sharing firm Uber will, for the first time, allow users to hail self-driving cars within a fortnight, the company has confirmed. Uber said the launch would take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It added that it was teaming up with Volvo.
At first, the vehicles will be supervised by a driver, who can take control if necessary, and an observer, Bloomberg reported.
The firm first revealed plans to replace human drivers two years ago.
More than one million people drive vehicles linked to its app, but are not directly employed by the company. A spokeswoman for the firm told the BBC: "Starting later this month, Uber will allow customers in downtown Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones, crossing an important milestone that no automotive or technology company has yet achieved.
"In Pittsburgh, customers will request cars the normal way, via Uber's app, and will be paired with a driverless car at random. Trips will be free for the time being, rather than the standard local rate of $1.30 [£0.98] per mile."
She added that Volvo had already sent a small number of sensor-equipped XC90 sports utility vehicles (SUVs) to Uber, which would be used in the initial trials.
The carmaker intends to have delivered 100 such cars to its partner by the end of the year.
Uber had previously used modified Ford Fusions to test its self-driving tech.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
My husband is an UBER driver. His first comment was who was gonna clean up after the super drunk riders?
What could possibly go wrong?
Any fleet of self-driving vehicles will have to have some centralized control, so the hackers will be taking control and these things and creating all sorts of mischief and mayhem.
Uber drivers are raising a lot of concerns that sound, well, a lot like the concerns cab drivers raised when Uber came along.
With the hills, the tunnels, the short entry ramps, the narrow cobblestone streets....human beings can barely drive in this town.
This has disaster written all over it.
I suppose they can make the technology work - follow a course, not smash into other cars, etc... But as you point out, there will be many issues they will not solve easily. I thought of vandalism - owner-drivers protect their cars. What happens when punks trash the cars on purpose? Or what happens when a car inexplicably stops in the middle of a freeway when there's a software bug? What about muggers targeting passengers of driver-less cars?
Yes but will the Uber self-driving car put a chair on the curb to save its parking space?
While I’m sure that the Uber drivers don’t want to be replaced, this idea that self-driving cars are actually feasible in real world applications is akin to the thinking that a man can be a woman if ‘she’ puts a dress on.
Normally, we would take a look at the staggering potential liabilities and throw the idea out the window, but in our state of collective delusion, we’ve decided that it’s somehow worth it for people to die because self driving cars are ‘really cool tech’.
Just the Tesla accident alone a couple months back should have chilled the idea right there, but it didn’t. These things will be excused and deaths will result, all because it’s more convenient to chalk it up to ‘progress’.
Ah, this will turn out well...
Yep. Especially when trying to navigate the West End bridge (is it still under repair?).
Just the Tesla accident alone a couple months back should have chilled the idea right there, but it didn’t.
...
Why should it chill anything when the accident rate is just as good or lower than cars without the technology?
1) Hastingscide
2) Imagine all the gross ick that’ll be in them - up chuck, pizza smeared seats, condoms (or not), Pepsi spewed all over the windows, dead bodies, poo and urine, etc.
On the plus side, this Uber thing will make a great Pittsburgh Dad commentary on Youtube.
When it gets to the intersection of William Penn Highway and Old William Penn Highway it’s toast.
Personally I’m starting a countdown on how many days it will be till Teamster thugs put them all out of commission.
Just wait until there’s an accident. Uber and Volvo are going to pay through the nose.
My husband is an UBER driver. His first comment was who was gonna clean up after the super drunk riders?
...
Instead of a driver, they can have a janitor ride along who isn’t paid as much. Or maybe the cars can return to a central point and be inspected, or install puke detectors. All will be more economical than drivers.
Think of all the real addresses google maps can’t get right. What about passengers who don’t know the exact address whereas a real live human driver could probably figure it out or at least would drive around the block until they did. Try following a gps and you’ll end up in the middle of a river.
I think I would like a self driving car. I just wouldn't want to rent one.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.