To catch up with Google’s advanced self-driving car technology, Uber has developed a partnership with Otto, a company which developed a kit enabling semi-trucks to navigate down highways without human input. Now, Otto’s technology is the brain behind Uber’s “robot livery cabs.”
This arrangement is a win-win for both companies. Uber will be able to help Otto develop a fleet of automated long-haul trucks, while Otto allows Uber to automate their existing services.
The Race is On
A handful of Volvo XC90s, equipped with cameras, lasers, radar, and a number of other features arrived in Pittsburgh last week, but if you were hoping to buy one, you’re out of luck. This is the first shipment (out of 100 total units) of Pittsburgh’s newest Uber Drivers.
Two years ago, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick began to seek out world's greatest robotics engineers. Today, Uber has hundreds of engineers helping the company develop self-driving systems. Uber’s goal: replace 1 million human drivers with 1 million autonomous Uber vehicles.
These developments are the latest in a modern-day clash of titans as Google, Tesla, and Uber go head-to-head for market share. The engineers who founded Otto left Google’s self-driving project less than a year ago, propelled by the potential of operating on a more accelerated timeline. Otto’s team includes:
- Anthony Levandowski (former Google self-driving engineer)
- Lior Ron (former Google Maps head)
- Claire Delaunay (former Google robotics)
- Don Burnette (former Google engineer)
Comparative Advantage
Some of the (potential) advantages that the Uber team has over Tesla and Google:
- Uber does not intend to manufacture its own autonomous vehicles. The plan, instead, is to partner with existing manufacturers, integrating the Otto kit into existing production lines.
- Uber collects data from its app users (approximately 100 million miles worth of data per day.)
- Uber’s monolithic valuation and global reach don’t hurt, either.
The Big Picture
What does this mean? Well, if you’re in Pittsburg and you are randomly assigned one of these self-driving units, your ride is free! Also, Uber knows that self-driving units will have positive impact on long distance travel for its users. Destinations will no longer be limited by driver preferences or intended hours. Another bonus is the savings. Prices stand to significantly drop with this development, as soon as enough units are in circulation. Finally, if you’re designing the future of transportation infrastructure, you’ll probably need to think about how self-driving cars, buses, and tractor-trailers might integrate into our current traffic systems. Until then, it may be time for a road trip to Pittsburgh.
