Advances in technology have led society to countless discoveries and new processes, such as increased efficiency in validation of the first parts in the production part-approval process, and even more incredible: self-driving cars, some of which will be run by Uber.
A fleet of Fords and Volvos, capable of driving themselves, is fully equipped and ready to roll out onto the streets of Pittsburgh within the next few weeks.
Experimental self-driving cars are already out on the roads, but these will be the first with paying passengers inside of them.
An Uber driver will be seated at the wheel to take over in the case that something goes wrong, but not for long. Uber plans to phase out all human drivers with the reveal of its self-driving fleet of vehicles.
“Uber is accelerating its plan to replace its 1 million human drivers with robots as quickly as possible,” Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick said in a blog post. He also announced a partnership with Volvo to work on driverless car development and the acquisition of Otto, a self-driving truck technology company.
When their fleet of self-driving cars rolls out onto the streets, Uber will be the first company in history to transport commercial passengers with automated driving systems.
“This will help people understand whether they like these systems or not,” said Aaron Steinfeld, associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. “And Uber can identify areas where they need to make changes based on feedback.”
The automated vehicles can take you to any stop that an ordinary Uber vehicle would be able to, but if you’re looking for a place to buy a cheap kid’s meal, you might not want McDonald’s on your list of places to stop.
This week, shortly after the release of its Step It activity band, McDonald’s Corp. began removing it because the company received various complaints of wrist irritation from children wearing the device.
“We have taken this swift and voluntary step after receiving limited reports of potential skin irritations that may be associated from wearing the band,” McDonald’s said in a statement.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers and we are fully investigating this issue.”
The toy simply counted steps and blinked encouragement for children, but clearly, the company’s attempt at a fitness-geared toy needs a bit more development.
The company has not revealed whether or not they will be developing and re-releasing the design as of yet.
Howevr, Uber is more than ready to see their new fleet of vehicles out on the road.
“Ride-hailing looks like it’ll be at the forefront of autonomous vehicles,” said Jack Nerad, analyst at Kelley Blue Book. “It’s a good way for traditional car manufacturers and ride-hailing companies to get a feel for this.”
