Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 825 |
| Work Detail | Just when we thought we had read and seen enough of Uber’s innovation, the company springs a new surprise. In a few days, some Uber riders will sample a robot-driven car, at least in the US. Starting September, Uber will allow customers in Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones. This is an important milestone that no automotive or technology company has yet to bag. Automotive manufacturers have long been pushing towards autonomous vehicles, with both Volvo and Ford placing 2021 as the year their first completely driverless cars will be ready. By removing the cost of human drivers, driverless cars could dramatically lower the cost for customers. Some people, including Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, estimate that such services could be less expensive for customers than owning a car – while still enabling hefty profits for providers. While the imminence of driverless cars may sound downright scary, they’re predicted to cut down accidents by 95 per cent. Before you freak out, riding in the back seat of a robot-driven car is a lot safer than you think — the law requires the cars to have specially trained back-up drivers, who will keep their hands lightly on the steering wheel should anything go awry. Each car is also equipped with a tablet computer in the back seat, designed to tell riders that they’re in a self-directed car and to explain what’s happening. An engineer will also sit up front, taking notes. And cameras will be recording everything that happens, both inside and outside the car, so that glitches can be noted and nipped. Legal implications This test will also analyse the legal and insurance implications of driverless cars. The cars – specially modified Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicles fitted with dozens of sensors that use cameras, lasers, radar, and GPS receivers – will pioneer in this ground-breaking technology exploit. TOTALLY FREE To entice people to the self-driving car experience, Uber will make these rides totally free for the time being. This could help some riders overcome reservations they might have about being driven around by a robot. Google, widely regarded as the leader in this field, has been testing its fleet for several years. Earlier this week, Ford announced plans for an autonomous ride-sharing service. But none of these companies has yet brought a self-driving car-sharing service to the market. Driverless cars used to be confined to the realm of science fiction, but now they are becoming a reality in developed countries, with the likes of Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Google and Audi among the companies with systems soon to deploy. From reducing the number of accidents to improving emissions compliance and easing congestion, the driverless revolution has begun, and that includes trials in various UK locations too. Machines are also much better at following rules than humans; motorway signs advising drivers to slow down or not to change lanes to avoid creating jams; simple logic often flouted by our motorists – not so a computer. Video cameras detect traffic lights, read road signs and keep track of other vehicles, while also looking out for pedestrians and other obstacles. Lidar sensors help to detect the edges of roads and identify lane markings by bouncing pulses of light off the car’s surroundings. Developing countries, in particular, have a long way to go before this technology lands home. Poorly designed roads, potholes, hard-to-see dividing lines and uncontrolled human and animal activity on the road, make it tough for robot-driven vehicles to find their way. This should be a wakeup call for our leaders to rethink city designs to take advantage of game-changing technologies and remain competitive on the global platform. |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Entry Date | 02 Sep 2016 |
| Source | http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/uber-riders-to-sample-self-driving-cars/440808-3360208-q4ble3/ |
