Uber’s self-driving cars resume trials in Pittsburgh in manual mode

Uber’s self-driving cars are being manually driven on public roads in Pittsburgh after a fatal crash which prompted the company to pull out of its testing programme in North America. The company is trialling new safeguards which it says will improve vehicle fleet safety and performance. According to a report by Medium, Eric Meyhofer, head of Uber Advanced Technologies, says: “While we are eager to resume testing of our self-driving system, we see manual driving as an important first step in piloting thes
July 27, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
8336 Uber’s self-driving cars are being manually driven on public roads in Pittsburgh after a %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 35413 0 link-external fatal crash false /categories/utc/news/uber-ends-self-driving-programme-in-arizona/ false false%> which prompted the company to pull out of its testing programme in North America. The company is trialling new safeguards which it says will improve vehicle fleet safety and performance.


According to a report by %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Medium false https://medium.com/@UberATG/self-driving-cars-return-to-pittsburgh-roads-in-manual-mode-f83e506a04b9 false false%>, Eric Meyhofer, head of Uber Advanced Technologies, says: “While we are eager to resume testing of our self-driving system, we see manual driving as an important first step in piloting these safeguards.”

An Uber mission specialist will be behind the wheel to help maintain the vehicle’s safely while another specialist will be in the passenger seat to document notable events. They will carry out tasks involving data collection and keeping the vehicle’s HD map up to date.

Meyhofer says all mission specialists have completed new training modules for safe manual driving which include dedicated time in defensive and distracted driving courses as well as improved test track situational awareness drills.

All self-driving vehicles will feature a driver-monitoring system to help mission specialists remain focused while driving. The system sends an audio alert to the driver if it detects inattentive behaviour.

Additionally, built-in collision avoidance systems will activate emergency braking if there is a sudden change in traffic ahead of the vehicle. It will also send imminent collision warnings to the driver and passenger.

The self-driving cars also come with a front tablet, where turn-by-turn navigation and vehicle information is displayed.

Uber Advanced Technologies consists of an engineering team who are dedicated to self-driving technologies, mapping and vehicle safety.

Location Based Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • PolChip boosts parking management with CarFlow software
    March 20, 2018
    PolChip presents CarFlow for efficient parking management, including parking networks and integration with a client’s master system. CarFlow includes strictly business solutions like ERP but can also control various elements of car park and building infrastructure. CarFlow system is available on the cloud. It can also be based on the SaaS model – meaning no worries for clients about installation or data security. Software upgrades are remote and automatic, meaning even more convenience for clients.
    Read More
  • Autonomous shuttle passenger injured following sudden stop
    August 6, 2019
    A 76-year-old passenger travelling on an autonomous shuttle has been injured after the vehicle came to an unexpected stop, says KUTV. Gene Petrie, an employee at the Utah State Tax Commission, was thrown from his seat and hit the handrail near the door, resulting in bruising and black eyes. Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission, is quoted saying: “Out of the clear blue, it suddenly stopped, and it wasn’t a slow-down stop. It was a sudden stop.” Petrie went to the hospital f
    Read More
  • Innovative Technology showcases Smart Payout recycler
    March 20, 2018
    Innovative Technology is showcasing the Smart Payout, with the claim it provides superior note recycling and unrivalled mixed denomination bank note recycling. A 70-note ‘true’ mixed denomination recycler, the Smart Payout can store all denominations from a given currency, eliminating coin starvation and reducing the coin float level required to keep machines operational. Auto-centering technology straightens notes before reading to maximise cash efficiency. Innovative Technology says that by utilising note
    Read More
  • Romania to demonstrate eCall network
    October 23, 2012
    ITS Romania’s stand will host a live demonstration presenting the eCall system now operational in Romania under the HeERO project. The eCall service enables a car to automatically dial the European 112 emergency phone number if it is involved in a serious accident, while sending data to the most appropriate public service answering point. The eCall demonstrator will show how emergency calls are handled, by setting up a workstation in Vienna that will be able to answer eCalls generated in Romania. The demons
    Read More

Highlighted Content