Uber's Advanced Technologies Center (ATC) in Pittsburgh has just kicked off the trial run for its self-driving car campaign as the company is launching a hybrid Ford Fusion car to collect mapping data and test its self-driving capabilities.
The hybrid car will feature advanced hardware including high-resolution cameras, radar and laser scanners to record mapping details of the environment and monitor situational awareness of the self-driving system.
A trained driver will be allowed to monitor operations of the self-driving mode as Uber intends to test and record the limitations for the new technology, before making it available to the public.
With around 1.3 million people dying every year in car accidents and 94% of those involving human error, the self-driving technology has the potential to save a lot of lives while also improving the quality of travelling around the globe.
"In the future we believe this technology will mean less congestion, more affordable and accessible transportation, and far fewer lives lost in car accidents," says Uber in its Newsroom post.
Here is what William Peduto, the Mayor of Pittsburg, had to say regarding Uber's self-driving car technology:
From the first steel mills to the laboratories at Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh has a long history of innovation. Now we're taking another step forward, this time as home to Uber's Advanced Technologies Center, where some of the world's leading innovators are helping to shape the future of transportation. We're excited that Uber has chosen the Steel City as they explore new technologies that can improve people's lives — through increased road safety, less congestion, and more efficient and smarter cities.
